Feasts, food and drink

The customs of the wedding table: the cake, the sweets, the toast, the shared cup. Not recipes.

The wedding feast is where the families meet at one table. Who is served first, what is shared, what is toasted and what is broken or cut are all customs with meaning. Food at a wedding is an act of hospitality and a display of generosity, and the way it is served says much about who the hosts are.

Shared foods and the first bite

In Poland the couple are greeted with bread and salt and a glass of vodka. In Georgia a tamada, the toastmaster, directs a long sequence of toasts. In Armenia and Turkey the couple may share a sweet drink or a sugar cube. In Chinese banquets a whole fish is served for abundance, and the couple go table to table for toasts. In Indian weddings the thali or the long sit-down meal comes after the ceremony, and in the Gulf a whole roast lamb on rice may be the centrepiece.

Cake and sweets

The tiered wedding cake in Britain and the United States has its roots in the Victorian era and in older bride cakes and cakes broken over the bride's head. In Sweden and Denmark a tall kransekage is built from rings of almond paste. In Iran and India, sweets such as shirini and mithai are exchanged at the first betrothal. In France the croquembouche, a tower of cream puffs, is the traditional dessert.

Drink and restraint

Wine, champagne, mead and palm wine appear in many weddings, and the Orthodox common cup is a shared symbol. Many Muslim, Sikh, Jain and Hindu weddings are alcohol free, and non-alcoholic drinks like sherbet, lassi and fruit juice are served with equal care. Hosts increasingly cater for dietary needs and think about food waste.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Feasts, food and drink (kind of custom). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreRèiteach A Scottish Gaelic betrothal ceremony where families negotiate marriage terms and celebrate with whisky.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇷🇺 RussiaRussian wedding traditionsРусская свадьба A multi-day celebration blending Orthodox crowning, ransom games, and lively toasting in Russia.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali Muslim weddingবাঙালি মুসলিম বিয়ে A multi-day Bengali Muslim marriage blending Islamic rites with local folk traditions.Rite · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaMehndi The henna body art applied to brides and guests before a South Asian wedding ceremony.Adornment · The weeks before

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreKorovaiкоровай (Ukrainian), каравай (Russian), кравай (Bulgarian) A large round braided bread shared at weddings to bless the couple and unite the community.Feast custom · The ceremony 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBou Bhatবউ ভাত A feast hosted by the groom's family to welcome the bride into her new home.Feast custom · After the wedding

🇺🇸 United StatesGroom's cake A second dessert served at the wedding reception or rehearsal dinner to reflect the groom's tastes.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇳🇬 NigeriaYoruba traditional weddingIgbeyawo The multi-day Yoruba marriage ceremony featuring traditional attire, family introductions, and the Eru Iyawo gift list.Attire · Engagement and betrothal

🇱🇹 Lithuania and 1 moreLithuanian wedding songsvestuvinės dainos The polyphonic songs and weeping rituals that mark a Lithuanian bride's transition to her new family.Performance · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAiburo Bhaatআইবুড়ো ভাত The final bachelor feast for the bride and groom before their Bengali weddingFeast custom · The weeks before

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWedding breakfast The post-ceremony feast served to the couple and their guests in British English usage.Feast custom · The ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding A Zoroastrian marriage ceremony featuring hand-fastening, rice sprinkling, and shared meals.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreBulgarian wedding musicсватбарска музика Fast-paced instrumental music played at Bulgarian weddings that blends folk, Romani, and Turkish styles.Performance · The ceremony

🇸🇪 SwedenKrokan A multi-tiered almond pastry tower joined by caramel and decorated with marzipan roses, served at Swedish weddings.Feast custom · The wedding feast

🇷🇺 RussiaLoving cup A large shared drinking vessel with two handles used in Christian rites and weddingsFeast custom · The wedding feast

🇺🇸 Las Vegas, United States and 5 moreBachelor party A final celebration for the groom before his wedding, with names and customs varying by region.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇩🇪 GermanyGroßvatertanz A traditional Saxon dance played at the end of wedding celebrations to mark the finale.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇷🇴 Romania and 7 moreHorahora (Romanian), horo (Bulgarian), oro (Macedonian), horah (Hebrew) A circle dance held at weddings across Southeast Europe and among Jewish communities worldwide.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreCollective wedding A single ceremony where many couples exchange vows and become married at once.Modern · The ceremony

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreDouble Happiness双喜 (shuāngxǐ) The red calligraphy symbol made of two joy characters that marks Chinese wedding celebrations.Adornment · The weeks before

🇵🇱 Poland and 6 moreKolachколач (kolach), калач (kalach), kołacz, colac, kalács A braided or ring-shaped bread that marks weddings and major holidays across Eastern Europe.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇹🇭 ThailandKhanom Si Thuaiขนมสี่ถ้วย A Thai wedding dessert of four sweet cups symbolizing harmony and lasting love.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBridal shower A pre-wedding gift-giving party hosted for the bride by her friends and family.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇺🇸 United StatesRehearsal dinner A pre-wedding meal held after the final practice to thank the wedding partyFeast custom · The weeks before

🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, United States and 1 moreCookie table A display of assorted homemade cookies served alongside the wedding cake at a reception.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreArab weddingزفاف or فرح or عرس A series of family-centered rites and processions that mark marriage across the Arab world.Rite · Finding a match

🇲🇽 Oaxaca, MexicoOaxacan wedding A multi-day Catholic celebration in Oaxaca featuring mole, mezcal, and communal dancing.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇨🇳 China and 4 moreChinese wedding door games堵门游戏 (dǔmén yóuxì) Challenges set by bridesmaids for the groom at the bride's home to prove his devotion.Play · Engagement and betrothal 🇨🇦 CanadaStag and doe A Canadian fundraiser where guests pay to help the couple cover wedding costs.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇷🇸 Serbia and 2 moreKoloКоло A South Slavic circle dance performed at weddings and social gatherings across the Balkans.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and salt A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreHausa traditional marriage The Islamic marriage rites of the Hausa people in Northern Nigeria and Niger.Rite · Finding a match 🇮🇸 IcelandIcelandic weddings A blend of church ceremony and multi-day feasting that marks the union of two people in Iceland.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWhite wedding A formal Western ceremony marked by a white bridal gown and traditional Christian rituals.Attire · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSheva Brachotשבע ברכות The seven blessings recited during Jewish weddings and the subsequent festive week.Blessing · The ceremony

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreCountry dance A social partner dance from England where couples follow a caller through repeated figures in long lines or squares.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian weddingТрадиційне українське весілля A multi-day sequence of folk rites, bread baking and church vows that marks the transition from maidenhood to married liRite · Finding a match

🇺🇸 United StatesStack cake A layered Appalachian dessert made of crisp molasses cakes and dried apple filling.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇻🇳 VietnamPhu Thê CakeBánh phu thê A Vietnamese mung bean cake exchanged by the couple to wish for a happy marriageFeast custom · The ceremony

🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreEngagement party A gathering to announce a new engagement and introduce the two families before the wedding.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before

🇦🇲 Armenia and 1 moreKochariՔոչարի A circle dance from the Armenian Highlands that marks weddings and community gatherings.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇮🇳 IndiaAyyavazhi wedding The sacred rite of Ayyavazhi that treats marriage as a spiritual sacrament and family life as the highest austerity.Rite · Procession and arrival

🇻🇳 VietnamTraditional Vietnamese weddingLễ cưới truyền thống Việt Nam The multi-stage ceremony of betrothal, engagement and union that marks a marriage in Vietnam.Attire · Finding a match 🇮🇳 IndiaHindi wedding songs Film and folk music that accompanies the stages of a North Indian Hindu wedding.Performance · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 Austin, United States and 5 moreBachelorette party A pre-wedding gathering for the bride-to-be and her female friends, known as a hen party in many Commonwealth nations.Performance · The weeks before

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mehndi: AKS.9955, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Korovai: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Groom's cake: Derek Key, CC BY 2.0, source
Yoruba traditional wedding: Fhadekhemmy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lithuanian wedding songs: Gailė Paštukaitė, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Aiburo Bhaat: Ranganm2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Wedding breakfast: Arpingstone, Public domain, source
Bulgarian wedding music: Allen Ruttenberg, CC BY 2.0, source
Krokan: Hansgustavsson, Public domain, source
Loving cup: Rhodian at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kolo: Sasa.mazinjanin, Public domain, source
Hausa traditional marriage: Bembety, CC0, source
Sheva Brachot: מנחם יוסיפון, CC0, source
Country dance: Engraving by William Hogarth, CC BY 4.0, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Stack cake: thebittenword.com, CC BY 2.0, source
Phu Thê Cake: JeanFousrou52, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Engagement party: Melissa Gupta, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Kochari: Hayordi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ayyavazhi wedding: Vaikunda Raja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
Bachelorette party: Michael Vincent Photography for Bride's Night Out, Inc., CC BY 3.0, source
Bachelor party: Derek Springer, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Großvatertanz: traditional, Public domain, source
Hora: Chajeshukarie ( talk ), Public domain, source
Collective wedding: Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Pará, Public domain, source
Double Happiness: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
Kolach: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Khanom Si Thuai: Siripitch Chaiyabutra, CC0, source
Bridal shower: The McClouds, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Cookie table: Chris Winters, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Arab wedding: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
Oaxacan wedding: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Chinese wedding door games: elfgoh, CC BY-SA 2.0, source