Music, dance and procession

The band, the drum, the first dance, the baraat and the dance that ends the night.

A wedding without music is rare. The band at the gate, the drum on the road, the first dance, the choir in the church and the dance that goes on past midnight are all part of how a community says that this is a joyful day. Music also tells guests what to do: stand, walk, clap, throw money or join the circle.

Procession and call

North Indian weddings are led by the baraat band with dhol drummers and a brass ensemble, and the groom may arrive on a mare. In Ghana and Nigeria, drummers and singers precede the groom's family. In Greece the daouli and zurna lead the groom's party, and in Turkey the davul and zurna play through the streets. In Egypt and the Levant a zaffe, a theatrical entrance of drummers, dancers and sometimes a sword bearer, brings the couple into the hall.

Dances with meaning

The Jewish hora lifts the couple on chairs. The Greek kalamatianos and the Georgian kartuli are circle dances where family join hands. In Poland the oczepiny, the capping of the bride, is followed by dancing and games. In the Philippines the money dance, and in Poland and the Polish diaspora the dollar dance, bring cash to the couple. In Scotland the ceilidh is danced by all ages, and in Ireland the reel and the jig do the same.

What is changing

Playlists have replaced many live bands, though live music is still prized. Couples choose a first-dance song, and some arrange choreographed routines that go viral. Devout communities sometimes restrict music or use only voices and drums, and these choices are respected as part of the tradition.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Music, dance and procession (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.

🇬🇷 GreeceTsamikoΤσάμικος A traditional Greek folk dance performed at weddings and festivals, known for its slow tempo and acrobatic leaps.Performance · The wedding feast

🇵🇸 Ramallah, Palestine and 4 moreDabkeدبكة A Levantine line dance performed at weddings to celebrate union and community.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇮🇷 Shiraz, Iran and 5 moreUlulation A high-pitched trilling sound made by women to celebrate weddings and share good news across many cultures.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇲🇦 MoroccoAhidusⴰⵃⵉⴷⵓⵙ (aḥidous) A collective Berber dance from Morocco performed in circles or lines to celebrate unity and victory.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreDia dos Namorados Brazil's June 12 celebration of romance, held on the eve of Saint Anthony's feast day.Betrothal · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaOppanaഒപ്പന A circle dance and song tradition of the Mappila Muslim community in Kerala weddingsPerformance · Engagement and betrothal

🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreCsárdás A Hungarian folk dance that begins slowly and ends with a fast spin.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇮🇱 IsraelMazel tovמזל טוב The Jewish phrase said to congratulate someone on a happy occasion or good fortune.Blessing · The ceremony

🇬🇪 Tbilisi, GeorgiaKartuliქართული ცეკვა A romantic Georgian wedding dance where the couple dances apart without touching.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇲🇱 MaliWeddings in Mali Multi-day Malian wedding traditions blending Islamic rites, civil law, and local customs with bazin attire.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇰🇭 Cambodia and 4 moreRomvongរាំវង់ (Khmer) A circular folk dance across Southeast Asia where couples hold hands and step in time with drums.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇦🇴 Luanda, Angola and 4 moreKizomba A slow, sensual partner dance from Angola that turns wedding parties into intimate social gatherings.Performance · The wedding feast 🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast 🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreZaffaزفّة A lively musical procession that marks the start of wedding festivities in Arab culture.Performance · The weeks before

🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptTahtibتحطيب (taḥṭīb) A traditional Egyptian stick-fighting martial art that evolved into a folk dance performed at weddings and celebrations.Performance · The weeks before

🇹🇷 TurkeyHoronχορόν (Pontic Greek) The fast shoulder-shimmying line dance of the Eastern Black Sea Region performed at weddings and festivalsPerformance · The wedding feast 🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 2 moreOwanbeÓwàńbẹ̀ The extravagant Yoruba celebration where music, fashion, and money spraying mark life's milestones.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇸🇳 Senegal and 2 moreSabar The Senegalese drum that drives the music and dance at Wolof weddingsPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇮🇳 IndiaWanvun A Kashmiri choral singing style performed before weddings and religious ritesPerformance · The weeks before

🇳🇪 In-Gall, Niger and 2 moreGuérewol A week-long courtship dance where Wodaabe men display their beauty to win the attention of marriageable women.Rite · The weeks before

🇨🇱 Santiago, Chile and 3 moreCueca A courtship dance from Chile and the Andes where couples trace circles with handkerchiefs to reenact a rooster and hen.Performance · The eve

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreChicken DanceDer Ententanz A novelty polka song and accompanying hand movements performed at weddings and festivals.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇮🇹 ItalyFescennine VersesFescennina carmina Bawdy wedding songs from Ancient Rome that evolved into satire and comic drama.Performance · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelTu B'Avט״ו באב A minor Jewish holiday in Israel that serves as a popular day for weddings and matchmaking.Betrothal · The weeks before 🇬🇷 Crete, GreecePentozaliΠεντοζάλης The vigorous Cretan war dance of high jumps and improvisation that marks the wedding procession.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSevillanas A traditional Andalusian folk dance performed by couples at weddings and local festivals in Spain.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMizmarمزمار (mizmār) A loud double reed instrument played at weddings and festivals across Egypt and the Levant.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇨🇺 Havana, Cuba and 5 moreConga line A long processing line dance that links dancers in single file to a rhythmic drum beat.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePolonaisePolonez A stately Polish partner dance in triple metre that opens weddings and formal celebrations.Performance · Procession and arrival 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreLa víbora de la mar A wedding game where the couple stands on chairs while guests form a snake to test their unity.Play · Reception, dance and gifts

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMandapaमण्डप (maṇḍapa) The pillared pavilion that serves as the stage for Hindu wedding rituals and temple gatherings.Setting · The ceremony 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreKalamatianosΚαλαματιανός A popular Greek folk dance performed in a chain at weddings and social gatheringsPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇪🇹 EthiopiaEskistaእስክስታ The shoulder dance of the Amhara people that brings joy to Ethiopian weddingsPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇺🇦 UkraineSong about the RushnykПісня про рушник (Pisnia pro rushnyk) A Ukrainian song that celebrates the embroidered cloth used in weddings and family life.Performance · The ceremony

🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaArdahالعرضة The men's group dance with swords and drums that marks weddings in the Arabian PeninsulaPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇵🇱 PolandSto lat A Polish song sung to wish a person long life and good health at weddings and other gatherings.Performance · The wedding feast

🇲🇰 Galičnik, North MacedoniaGaličnik Wedding FestivalГаличка свадба (Galička svadba) A recreated traditional wedding in a North Macedonian village that turns a local rite into an annual festival.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇮🇳 Chandigarh, IndiaBhangra A vigorous Punjabi folk dance performed to the beat of a dhol drum during harvest celebrations.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇲🇦 Imilchil, MoroccoImilchil Marriage FestivalAgdoud N'Oulmghenni A Berber marriage festival in Morocco where tribes gather to arrange unions and celebrate with music and dance.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay A traditional line and circle dance performed across Turkey and surrounding regions at weddings.Performance · The ceremony

🇮🇩 Jakarta, IndonesiaPalang pintu The martial arts and poetry test that allows the groom to enter the bride's home in Betawi weddings.Rite · The weeks before

🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria and 2 moreViennese waltzWiener Walzer The fast rotary ballroom dance that originated in Austria and defines the traditional waltz.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 1 moreKyz kuu A horse race where a man chases a woman to win a kiss or faces her whip if he failsPlay · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 1 moreBaraat The groom's wedding procession through the streets to the bride's home or venue.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇧🇩 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

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

🇮🇳 IndiaLagan Geetલગ્નગીત Traditional Gujarati wedding songs sung by family and professional performers during ceremonies.Performance · The ceremony 🇬🇷 GreeceLipothymiarikosΛιποθυμιάρικος (Horos tis Nifis) A Greek wedding dance where men mimic a fainting bride in the early morning hours.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

Photo credits on this page

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

Dabke: Sarah Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kartuli: Mostafameraji, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Weddings in Mali: HawaG, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Romvong: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain, source
Kizomba: Obe Images, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tahtib: Yasser Elrasoul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Horon: Macukali, Public domain, source
Sabar: AbaDiop, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Guérewol: Dan Lundberg, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Cueca: Manuel Antonio Caro, Public domain, source
Chicken Dance: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Sevillanas: Anual, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mizmar: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Conga line: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Derek J. Hu, Public domain, source
Polonaise: Korneli Szlegel, Public domain, source
Mandapa: Rajendran Ganesan, CC BY 2.0, source
Eskista: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Hanay, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ardah: Abodi009, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Galičnik Wedding Festival: IvanaKrstik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bhangra: Jimmysekhon25, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Imilchil Marriage Festival: Zakaria ElQotbi, CC BY 2.0, source
Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
Palang pintu: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Viennese waltz: Sigismund von Dobschütz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kyz kuu: SSGT JEREMY T. LOCK, Public domain, source
Ahidus: Fotograaf / photographer: Drs. F.M. (Frits) Cowan (1931 - 2010), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Oppana: Shagil Kannur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Csárdás: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Mazel tov: Iwona Erskine-Kellie, CC BY 2.0, source
Baraat: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pnglife/, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Kolo: Sasa.mazinjanin, Public domain, source
Lagan Geet: Sevageet, CC BY-SA 4.0, source