In a traditional Armenian wedding, lavash may be placed over the newlyweds’ shoulders as a blessing for prosperity and abundance. The bread is a thin, soft flatbread central to Armenian food culture.
The custom is often performed when the couple enters the wedding celebration. Family members place pieces of lavash over their shoulders, and the couple may also break or eat bread as part of the welcome. The act connects marriage with wishes for a well-provisioned household.
Lavash is baked in a tonir, an underground or partly underground oven traditionally used in Armenia and neighboring regions. It can be eaten fresh or dried for storage and later softened with water.
Lavash has broader regional traditions, and debates about its cultural ownership sometimes become contentious. In the Armenian wedding custom, however, the bread’s role is specifically symbolic: it represents sustenance, good fortune, and a prosperous shared life.