🇧🇷 Wedding traditions of Brazil
8 traditions from Brazil, best known first, across 18 cities and towns.
Brazilian weddings blend Catholic traditions with diverse cultural influences from Indigenous, African, and European heritage. Couples typically choose between civil ceremonies at city halls or religious rites in churches, often followed by lively celebrations featuring music and dancing.
In Brazil, marriage is a significant social event that reflects the country's multicultural history. Most unions begin with a civil ceremony to satisfy legal requirements, followed by a religious service if desired. The celebration often extends into a long party where guests enjoy traditional food and dance, honoring both Portuguese roots and local community customs.
A typical wedding
The day usually starts with the couple getting ready separately. Many families attend a morning mass at a church, which serves as the religious blessing of the union. Afterward, they move to the reception venue for a large gathering. Guests eat, drink, and dance to live music or DJs. The bride often wears a white gown, while the groom wears a suit. Some couples also hold a rehearsal dinner the night before to welcome close relatives and friends.
Law and registration
Civil marriage is mandatory for legal recognition and can take place at a city hall or a designated public venue. Religious ceremonies are only valid legally if performed by a recognized minister who registers the union. The minimum age for marriage is eighteen, though exceptions exist with parental consent. Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since 2013, allowing all couples equal rights. Child marriage is illegal and considered harmful to young people.
Wedding season
Couples often avoid holding weddings during Lent and Holy Week due to religious solemnity. Carnival, occurring forty-six days before Easter, is another busy period where many venues are occupied with festival preparations. Summer months, particularly December and January, are popular for outdoor celebrations because of the warm weather. June also sees many weddings, coinciding with the Festa Juninas festivals in various regions.
Gifts and money
Guests typically give cash gifts in envelopes rather than physical items. This practice helps the couple pay for their honeymoon or future home expenses. Some families create a gift registry for specific household appliances or electronics. It is common for guests to contribute to a collective gift from their group. The couple often thanks guests personally at the end of the reception or through written notes later.
As a guest
Attendees dress formally, often wearing suits for men and elegant dresses for women. Bright colors are acceptable, but white is reserved for the bride. Guests bring a monetary gift enclosed in an envelope, which is usually collected at the entrance. Dancing is a central part of the celebration, so comfortable shoes are advisable. Guests may also bring small tokens or cards to congratulate the newlyweds.
The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Culture of Brazil", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. EveryShaadi rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
A wedding in Brazil, stage by stage
The customs written up so far, in the order a wedding unfolds.
🇦🇴 Luanda, Angola and 4 moreKizomba
A slow, sensual partner dance from Angola that turns wedding parties into intimate social gatherings.Performance · The wedding feast
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreChicken DanceDer Ententanz
A novelty polka song and accompanying hand movements performed at weddings and festivals.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 morePolterabend
The evening before the wedding when guests break porcelain to bring luck and test the couple's teamwork.Blessing · The eve
🇵🇪 Peru and 4 moreBride service
Labor provided by the groom to the bride's family as part of the marriage arrangement.Gift custom · Finding a match
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSealing (Mormonism)
A temple ritual that binds couples and families together for eternity.Rite · The ceremony
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Brazil
The nationwide legal recognition of same-sex unions following a 2013 judicial ruling.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇯🇵 Japan and 4 morePicture brideNakōdo (仲人) matchmaking; Jungmae gyeolhon (결혼) process
Early twentieth century marriages arranged through photographs between Asian immigrant men and women in Hawaii and the UBetrothal · Finding a match
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Polterabend: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kizomba: Obe Images, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chicken Dance: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sealing (Mormonism): NewNameNoah, CC BY 4.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Brazil: Fabio Pozzebom/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, source