In traditional Swiss wedding customs, newlyweds may saw through a log together to symbolize cooperation.
The couple holds a saw and works from opposite sides of a piece of wood. Completing the task requires coordinated movement, making it a practical metaphor for sharing work and solving problems together in married life. The activity is usually staged as a festive post-ceremony or reception challenge.
Sawing a log is not a universal Swiss wedding practice. Customs vary among Swiss regions and language communities, and individual families may adapt the activity for modern celebrations. Similar teamwork rituals appear in wedding traditions elsewhere in Europe.
The object is specifically a log, not a ceremonial loaf or a wooden gate. Those objects can appear in other wedding customs, but they are not the item identified by this Swiss cooperation ritual.