The wedding procession and the arrival

Many weddings are a journey.

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Many weddings are a journey. The groom rides to the bride's house on a horse, the bride is carried in a chair, a band marches through a village, a car convoy sounds its horns or a bride walks up an aisle to a march. The procession announces the wedding to the neighbourhood and gives everyone a part to play, and often there is a gate to block, a price to pay or a song to sing before the guests are let in.

Announcing the day

A wedding procession tells the community that a marriage is being made, and invites the neighbours to share the noise and the joy. Drums, pipes, trumpets, firecrackers and singing carry through the streets. Many cultures decorate the vehicle, the horse or the road. Neighbours may line the street, throw petals, or tie ribbons to cars.

The meeting at the gate

Often the procession meets a barrier. In Indian weddings, the groom's baraat is greeted at the bride's door with a milni, the meeting of the two families' elders, and with playful demands from the bride's sisters. In Indonesian Betawi weddings, the groom's party performs a mock fight and an exchange of rhymed verses at the palang pintu. In China, the bridesmaids block the door and ask for red packets and answers to riddles. These games are signs that the bride is valued, and a way to relax two families who have not yet met.

Who walks, who rides

The groom may ride a horse (India, Pakistan), a decorated car, a boat or on foot. The bride may be carried (the amariya of Morocco), walk with her father (the Western aisle), arrive with her mother, or wait inside. Zaffe, the Arab wedding procession of drums and dancers, leads the couple into the hall in Egypt, Lebanon and across the region. Brides in some regions are accompanied by a female relative who carries the dowry, or by children carrying flowers.

How it is changing

Traffic, noise rules and cost have shortened or changed many processions: a baraat may be allowed only for an hour, or a horse replaced by a car. Mega-venues sometimes recreate the street procession inside the hall, with a stage. Concern for animal welfare has led some cities to restrict the use of horses or elephants. Couples increasingly plan their own entrance, to a chosen song, whatever the older customs say.

The wedding procession and the arrival around the world

🇮🇳 India

The baraat is the groom's procession, in which he rides a mare, often a white one, to the wedding, with a band and relatives dancing in front. It ends with the milni, in which the two families meet and exchange garlands.

Read: Baraat

🇵🇰 Pakistan

The barat is the groom's party that travels to the bride's family, led by drummers and by relatives who dance. The bride is formally sent off, the rukhsati, with the Quran held over her head.

Read: Baraat

🇮🇩 Indonesia

At a Betawi wedding in Jakarta the groom's party is stopped at the palang pintu, the gate, where two champions trade rhymed verses and a mock martial-arts fight in silat before they are let through. The ritual ends with a recital of the Quran.

Betawi people, being written

🇵🇭 Philippines

In a Filipino church wedding the groom and both sets of parents walk in the procession, followed by the principal sponsors, and children carry the rings and the coins. At the reception, guests pin money on the couple during the money dance.

Culture of the Philippines, being written

🇨🇳 China

The groom collects the bride from her house in a car convoy, formerly in a red sedan chair, and her bridesmaids block the door until he gives red packets and answers questions. Firecrackers are set off on arrival to announce the couple.

Sedan chair, being written

🇰🇷 South Korea

In the traditional Korean wedding the groom brought a wooden wild goose, a symbol of lifelong fidelity, to the bride's family, and the old rites took place at the bride's house. After the wedding the bride is brought to the groom's home in a ceremonial procession.

Read: Pyebaek

Compare all 16 places

Traditions to start with

BaraatThe groom's wedding procession.

Hausa traditional marriageThe Moroccan bridal chair.

Palang pintuThe Betawi gate game.

Also part of it, and being written: Zaffe (The Arab wedding entrance.), Powhiri (The Maori welcome.), Wedding march (Music for the procession.), Sedan chair (A carried seat.), Callejoneada (The Mexican street procession.).

Questions people ask

Why does the groom arrive on a horse?

In North India the horse recalls the groom as a prince or warrior coming to claim a bride, and it carries a sense of luck and celebration. Many families now use a car or a decorated carriage.

Why is the door blocked?

The mock blocking is a game that tests the groom's goodwill and gives the bride's family a chance to show affection. Payment is symbolic and shared out among the bride's friends.

Is a baraat allowed in every city?

Not always. Some places limit noise, road closures and animals, so organisers usually check with the local authority.

Who walks the bride down the aisle?

Most often her father or both parents, but any person the bride chooses may do so, or she may walk alone.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

The wedding procession and the arrival on EveryShaadi

The traditions written up so far, best known first.

🇿🇦 South AfricaUmemulo The Zulu coming of age ceremony that marks a woman as ready for marriageRite · The weeks before

🇯🇵 JapanTamagushitamagushi (玉串) A decorated sakaki branch offered to kami during Shinto wedding ceremonies and other rites.Rite · The ceremony

🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreMantilla A lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders by women in Spain and Latin AmericaAttire · The weeks before 🇺🇦 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

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

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

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

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreRushnykрушник (Ukrainian), ручнік (Belarusian), ручник/рушник (Russian) The embroidered linen cloth that marks life stages and guides the couple through the wedding ceremony in East Slavic culAdornment · 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

🇨🇱 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

🇸🇿 Ludzidzini Royal Village, Eswatini and 1 moreUmhlanga The annual Swazi and Zulu gathering where young women cut reeds to preserve chastity and offer tribute labour.Rite · The eve

🇨🇺 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

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLaavaanਲਾਵਾਂ ਫੇਰੇ (Lavan) The four sacred hymns sung during the Anand Karaj that guide a Sikh couple through spiritual stages of married life.Rite · The ceremony

🇪🇬 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 🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaWedding customs in Ethiopia A collection of diverse marriage rites across Ethiopian tribes and the Orthodox Christian community.Rite · Finding a match

🇰🇭 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 🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreZaffaزفّة A lively musical procession that marks the start of wedding festivities in Arab culture.Performance · The weeks before

🇷🇺 RussiaEastern Orthodox marriage The Byzantine Rite ceremony where a priest crowns the couple to seal their union in Christ.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇬🇷 Crete, GreecePentozaliΠεντοζάλης The vigorous Cretan war dance of high jumps and improvisation that marks the wedding procession.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePolonaisePolonez A stately Polish partner dance in triple metre that opens weddings and formal celebrations.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇳🇬 Iseyin, Nigeria and 2 moreAso okeAṣọ òkè Hand-woven cloth worn by the Yoruba for weddings and formal gatheringsAttire · The ceremony

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

🇮🇳 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

🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreNoghlنقل (Persian) / نقل (Dari) Sugar-coated almonds served at Iranian and Afghan weddings as a sweet treat and showered confetti.Feast custom · 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

🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyWeddings in ancient Rome The religious ceremonies and attire that marked a union in the city of Rome before the rise of Christianity.Rite · The weeks before

🇮🇩 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

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 1 moreKazakh wedding ceremonyҮйлену тойы (Üilenu toiy) The multi-stage Kazakh marriage process featuring the face-revealing feast and the Islamic religious contract.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast

🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Mexico and 1 moreHuipilhuīpīlli The traditional tunic worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Central America for weddings and daily life.Attire · The weeks before

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and 1 moreZuria The ankle-length dress with woven hem bands worn by Tigrinya and Amhara women for weddings and holidays.Attire · The weeks before

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

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 3 moreJewish wedding The ceremony and laws that bind a couple in Jewish marriage, from the canopy to the glass.Rite · 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

🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreHandfastingceangal na lámh (Irish); pòsadh-bliadhna (Scottish Gaelic) A pledge ceremony where a couple joins hands to make a binding marriage contract or engagement.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ The turmeric ceremony that prepares the Bengali bride and groom for marriageRite · The weeks before

🇸🇩 Khartoum, SudanJirtigالجَرْتِقْ (Arabic) A Sudanese inauguration ritual where the groom is symbolically crowned as a king.Rite · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaChaklong wedding The traditional Ahom marriage system involving rice powder mandalas and ancestral rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇮🇳 IndiaWedding mandapaVivaha Mandapa (विवाह मण्डप) The temporary pavilion where Hindu and Jain couples exchange vows around a sacred fire.Setting · 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

🇱🇰 Sri LankaPoruwa ceremony The Sinhalese wedding ritual performed on a carved wooden platform with betel leaves and milk rice.Rite · The ceremony

🇮🇩 IndonesiaMinangkabau marriage A matrilineal wedding tradition from West Sumatra where the groom moves into the bride's family home.Family role · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇩 Lombok, IndonesiaMerariq A Sasak ritual in Lombok where the groom takes the bride to his home with family consent.Rite · The weeks before

🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShinto wedding神前結婚 (Shinzen kekkon) A Shinto purification ritual featuring sake sharing and kimono attire held at a shrine or venue.Rite · The ceremony 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWedding March (Mendelssohn) Felix Mendelssohn's C major piece from 1842, used as a recessional at Western weddings.Performance · After the wedding

🇬🇧 United KingdomPage boy A young male member of the bridal party who manages the bride's train or carries the wedding rings.Family role · The ceremony

🇱🇹 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

Photo credits on this page

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

Poruwa ceremony: A Derivative Work by MediaJet ,, CC BY 2.0, source
Minangkabau marriage: Mamasamala, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Page boy: Joe Cheng, CC BY 2.0, source
Lithuanian wedding songs: Gailė Paštukaitė, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Umhlanga: Amada44, Public domain, source
Conga line: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Derek J. Hu, Public domain, source
Laavaan: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
Aso oke: Wolf D., Public domain, source
Noghl: Taxman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Galičnik Wedding Festival: IvanaKrstik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Palang pintu: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kazakh wedding ceremony: jerome taylor, CC BY 2.0, source
Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
Baraat: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pnglife/, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Tamagushi: Urashimataro, Public domain, source
Cueca: Manuel Antonio Caro, Public domain, source
Tahtib: Yasser Elrasoul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Romvong: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain, source
Eastern Orthodox marriage: VitVit, CC BY 3.0, source
Polonaise: Korneli Szlegel, Public domain, source
Chaklong wedding: Chiring chandan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gaye holud: Arr4, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
Hausa traditional marriage: Bembety, CC0, source
Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
Jirtig: Alzain Mohammed, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mizmar: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Jewish wedding: Jozef Israëls, Public domain, source
Csárdás: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Bhangra: Jimmysekhon25, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Weddings in Mali: HawaG, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Zuria: Kurt Bauschardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Mandapa: Rajendran Ganesan, CC BY 2.0, source
Viennese waltz: Sigismund von Dobschütz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Wedding mandapa: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source