The shot of whiskey or peach schnapps ( for girls) is integral to the occasion
I have heard of, but not seen, where the groom has had to fight through a protective layer of relatives in order to claim his bride.
I’d heard that some people in rural Wales, Scotland, etc still make the pretend carrying off of the bride at the reception part of the fun, too-supposedly an acting-out of an old custom. Still sounds like an excuse for a drunken melee to me...
One of the weddings MrT5 attended was that of a fellow service member-groom and bride were both Islanders. He said the mock abduction and resulting brawl ended in some bruises and black eyes and pretty much wrecked the banquet room at the officers’ club that the reception was held in, but the couple paid for the damage with a shrug and a smile.