Wedding traditions of Europe
Rice and confetti, the veil and the white dress, Polish oczepiny, Greek koumbaro and the Irish handfast. 206 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
Countries
🇦🇱 Albania 5🇦🇩 Andorra 1🇦🇹 Austria 12🇧🇾 Belarus 9🇧🇪 Belgium 5🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2🇧🇬 Bulgaria 13ðŸ‡ðŸ‡· Croatia 8🇨🇿 Czechia 4🇩🇰 Denmark 10🇪🇪 Estonia 2🇫🇮 Finland 9🇫🇷 France 30🇩🇪 Germany 31🇬🇷 Greece 23ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º Hungary 10🇮🇸 Iceland 5🇮🇪 Ireland 17🇮🇹 Italy 21🇽🇰 Kosovo 3🇱🇻 Latvia 3🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 2🇱🇹 Lithuania 4🇱🇺 Luxembourg 1🇲🇹 Malta 1🇲🇩 Moldova 6🇲🇨 Monaco 1🇲🇪 Montenegro 1🇳🇱 Netherlands 15🇲🇰 North Macedonia 9🇳🇴 Norway 9🇵🇱 Poland 26🇵🇹 Portugal 6🇷🇴 Romania 13🇷🇺 Russia 22🇸🇲 San Marino 0🇷🇸 Serbia 12🇸🇰 Slovakia 6🇸🇮 Slovenia 2🇪🇸 Spain 15🇸🇪 Sweden 11🇨🇠Switzerland 6🇺🇦 Ukraine 19🇬🇧 United Kingdom 78🇻🇦 Vatican City 0
Cities and towns
London 7Rome 5Berlin 4Kraków 4Vienna 4Crete 3Hamburg 3Madrid 3Amsterdam 2Athens 2Barcelona 2Bern 2Budapest 2Copenhagen 2Dublin 2Edinburgh 2Galway 2Hanover 2
On the calendar
June, the Western wedding monthSeptember and October wedding peakShrovetide, the old Irish wedding time2/22 and other repeated datesLag BaOmer, weddings resumeMay, the month of brides in BrazilKrasnaya Gorka, the first wedding SundayPokrov, the autumn wedding seasonLentHoly Week and the TriduumAdventOrthodox Great Lent
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreGimmal ring
A betrothal ring with separate hoops that join to form the wedding band.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United KingdomQuaichcuach
A shallow two-handled cup used in Scottish weddings to share a drink and symbolise union.Feast custom · The ceremony
🇦🇹 Austria and 4 moreDirndl
The bodice, skirt and apron dress worn by brides in the German-speaking Alps.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇪 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
🇷🇺 RussiaRussian wedding traditions
A multi-day celebration blending Orthodox rites, civil registration, and lively folk customs in Russia.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBedding ceremony
The public ritual of placing the newlyweds in their marital bed to witness and seal the marriage.Rite · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreGroomsman
A male attendant who supports the groom and assists guests at a wedding.Family role · 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
ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º HungaryVÅ‘fély
The Hungarian wedding host who guides the couple through rites, speeches, and traditions.Family role · Finding a match
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreLovespoonLlwy garu
A carved wooden spoon given as a romantic gift to show skill and intent.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWedding ring
A metal circle worn on the finger to show that a person is married.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇱 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
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 moreOchipokочіпок
The embroidered cap that covers a Ukrainian bride's hair to mark her new status as a married womanAttire · The ceremony
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreBadchenבּדחן (badkhn)
The Ashkenazi Jewish wedding entertainer and master of ceremonies who guides the couple through ritual stages with song Performance · 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
🇬🇧 Edinburgh, United KingdomLuckenbooth brooch
A Scottish heart-shaped silver token of love and protection worn at weddings.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇰 SlovakiaMamko Moja
A Slovak Roma wedding song about a bride's longing for marriagePerformance · 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
🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreLas arrasLas arras matrimoniales
Thirteen coins exchanged by the couple to symbolize provision and trust in a Christian marriage.Rite · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreRing fingerdigitus annularis
The fourth digit of the hand where wedding and engagement rings are traditionally worn.Attire · The ceremony
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreMorganatic marriageEhe zur linken Hand
A union between people of unequal rank that bars the spouse and children from inheriting titles or throne rights.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇪 Dublin, IrelandSchulze Registers
The surviving records of secret marriages performed by a Lutheran minister in 19th century Dublin.Vow · The ceremony
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceSame-sex marriage in GreeceΟμοφυλοφιλικός γάμος (Omofylofilikos gamos)
The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex, effective since February 2024.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇪🇸 A Coruña, Spain and 2 moreFirst same-sex marriage in Spain
The 1901 union of two women in Galicia that preceded legal recognition by over a centuryModern · The ceremony
🇫🇷 France and 4 moreMore danicodansk skik
A Medieval Scandinavian marriage custom allowing polygyny and secular unions outside church control.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreKlezmerקלעזמער
The instrumental wedding music of Ashkenazi Jews, blending Eastern European and Jewish ritual melodies.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
ðŸ‡ðŸ‡· CroatiaNijemo kolo
A silent Croatian folk dance where couples move in a circle without music.Performance · The ceremony
🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreKlezmerקלעזמער
The instrumental dance music played by Ashkenazi Jewish musicians at weddings in Eastern Europe and beyondPerformance · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Quaich: Robin-wood, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Greece: Mzimu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bedding ceremony: Isaac Cruikshank, Public domain, source
- Lithuanian wedding songs: Gailė Paštukaitė, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gimmal ring: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Klezmer: Syrena Records (Warsaw), Public domain, source
- First same-sex marriage in Spain: Jglamela, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- More danico: Edward Burne-Jones, Public domain, source
- Luckenbooth brooch: Walker14806, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Morganatic marriage: Sergei Lvovich Levitsky (1819 – 1898) and Rafail Sergeevich Levitsky (, Public domain, source
- Ring finger: RAPMOODDE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding breakfast: Arpingstone, Public domain, source
- Las arras: penny, CC BY 2.0, source
- Groomsman: Jenny Mealing, CC BY 2.0, source
- Lovespoon: Btinsley785, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Kolach: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Dirndl: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
- Badchen: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Klezmer: Unknown artist identified as "M.D.", Public domain, source
- Nijemo kolo: Outrageous zone, CC BY 3.0, source
- Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source