Modern and changing weddings
Civil, destination, elopement, mass, interfaith and same-sex weddings, and the old customs reworked.
Weddings are changing, and tradition changes with them. Civil, destination, elopement, mass, interfaith and same-sex weddings are all growing, and old customs are being reworked rather than abandoned. This page records the changes honestly, without assuming that new is better or that old is fixed.
Civil and small weddings
Many couples now marry at a registry office with a few witnesses, and hold a party later. Elopement to Las Vegas, Gretna Green or a beach has long been a choice and has seen a revival. Mass weddings, from Indian samuhik vivah to community weddings in the Gulf and in Pakistan, spare families the cost. In 2020 and 2021 the pandemic pushed many weddings online or into very small gatherings.
Marrying across lines
Interfaith and inter-community couples make decisions about which rites to hold, in which order, and who leads. Some hold two ceremonies, others a blended one. Same-sex marriage is legal in more than thirty countries, beginning with the Netherlands in 2001, and couples borrow from every tradition. In other countries same-sex couples cannot marry, and religious bodies differ on what they will bless.
Old customs, new meaning
Many couples drop customs they find unequal, such as the father giving away the bride, and keep ones they love, such as the henna night. Some communities have campaigns against dowry, child marriage and extravagant spending. Others work to preserve endangered crafts and songs. The result is a living tradition that keeps changing.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Modern and changing weddings (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.
🇰🇷 South KoreaBlack DayBlack Day (Korean: 블랙데이)
A South Korean day for singles to gather and eat black bean noodles after missing Valentine's and White Day gifts.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyRecognition of same-sex unions in ItalyRiconoscimento delle unioni tra persone dello stesso sesso in Italia
The legal framework that grants same-sex couples rights and protections in Italy.Modern
🇺🇸 United StatesSelf-uniting marriage
A wedding where the couple marries each other without a third-party officiant.Vow · The ceremony
🇪🇸 Madrid, SpainSame-sex marriage in SpainMatrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo en España
The national law that legalized same-sex marriage and adoption rights for couples in Spain.Modern · The ceremony
🇩🇪 Berlin, GermanySame-sex marriage in GermanyEhe für alle
The legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Germany since 2017.Modern
🇸🇪 Stockholm, SwedenSame-sex marriage in SwedenSambolydning i Sverige
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Sweden since 2009.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇾 Montevideo, UruguaySame-sex marriage in Uruguay
The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples in Uruguay since 2013Modern · The ceremony
🇫🇷 FranceCivil solidarity pactPacte civil de solidarité (PACS)
A French civil union contract that offers legal rights to couples without the full status of marriage.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreArranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent
The family-led matchmaking process that shapes most marriages across South Asia.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelSame-sex marriage in Israel
Legal recognition for same-sex couples through foreign or online marriages due to the absence of civil marriage in IsraeModern · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 ChinaNaked marriage裸婚 (luǒhūn)
A wedding without a house, car, or ring, chosen by couples in China for love and financial necessity.Modern · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Hamburg, Germany and 1 morePosthumous marriage in Germany
A legal rite that joined a living woman to a deceased soldier for state benefits.Vow · After the wedding
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreInter-caste marriage
Marriages between people from different castes in India and Nepal.Modern
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSame-sex marriage in Thailandสมรสเท่าเทียม (Somrot Thaothiam)
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that took effect in January 2025.Modern · The ceremony
🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSame-sex marriage in Switzerland
The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples following a national referendum.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanSame-sex marriage in Japan同性結婚 (dōsei kekkon)
The legal battle and local partnership systems for same-sex couples in JapanModern
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreElopement
A secret marriage conducted without parental approval or public notice to bypass objections or legal barriers.Modern · The weeks before
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreInterfaith marriage in Judaismשִׁדּוּג חַלּוּץ (Shidug Chalutz) / אינטרפייט מריאז' (Interafeyt Mariyaz')
The union of a Jew and a non-Jew, viewed as void by traditional law but increasingly common in modern communities.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaChild marriage in India
A contested practice where minors marry, defined by law as unions involving a bride under 18.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇧🇪 Kapellen, BelgiumSame-sex marriage in Belgiumhomohuwelijk / mariage homosexuel
The legal union of two people of the same sex, available since June 2003.Modern · The ceremony
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreProxy marriage
A union where one or both partners are absent and represented by another person.Vow · The ceremony
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSame-sex marriage in ArgentinaMatrimonio igualitario
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that made Argentina the first nation in Latin America to permit them.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇹🇼 Taipei, TaiwanSame-sex marriage in Taiwan
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Taiwan, the first in Asia.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 Hawaii, United StatesCommon-law marriage in the United States
A legal marriage formed without a licence or ceremony, in a few US jurisdictionsVow
🇲🇹 MaltaSame-sex marriage in MaltaŻwieġ bejn persuni tal-istess sess
The legal recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Malta.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Same-sex marriage in Argentina: Víctor Buggé, CC BY 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Spain: FELGTB Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Trans y Bisexuales, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Germany: This image is a work by Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons user C.Suthorn, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Arranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent: Hindustanilanguage, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Israel: דוד שי, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Thailand: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Recognition of same-sex unions in Italy: G.dallorto, Attribution, source
- Black Day: by 아침꿀물 at Flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Japan: User:Jedi Friend, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Interfaith marriage in Judaism: Rembrandt, Public domain, source
- Child marriage in India: Baijayant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Belgium: flamenc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Proxy marriage: Alejandro Cicarelli, Public domain, source
- Same-sex marriage in Taiwan: Guy of taipei, CC BY-SA 3.0, source