Wedding traditions of Europe
Rice and confetti, the veil and the white dress, Polish oczepiny, Greek koumbaro and the Irish handfast. 143 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
Countries
🇦🇱 Albania 1🇦🇩 Andorra 1🇦🇹 Austria 9🇧🇾 Belarus 7🇧🇪 Belgium 2🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2🇧🇬 Bulgaria 7🇭🇷 Croatia 4🇨🇿 Czechia 2🇩🇰 Denmark 7🇪🇪 Estonia 1🇫🇮 Finland 5🇫🇷 France 25🇩🇪 Germany 25🇬🇷 Greece 16🇭🇺 Hungary 5🇮🇸 Iceland 5🇮🇪 Ireland 15🇮🇹 Italy 14🇽🇰 Kosovo 0🇱🇻 Latvia 3🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 2🇱🇹 Lithuania 3🇱🇺 Luxembourg 1🇲🇹 Malta 1🇲🇩 Moldova 2🇲🇨 Monaco 1🇲🇪 Montenegro 1🇳🇱 Netherlands 10🇲🇰 North Macedonia 5🇳🇴 Norway 7🇵🇱 Poland 17🇵🇹 Portugal 6🇷🇴 Romania 4🇷🇺 Russia 17🇸🇲 San Marino 0🇷🇸 Serbia 7🇸🇰 Slovakia 2🇸🇮 Slovenia 2🇪🇸 Spain 11🇸🇪 Sweden 8🇨🇭 Switzerland 5🇺🇦 Ukraine 11🇬🇧 United Kingdom 60🇻🇦 Vatican City 0
Cities and towns
London 4Rome 4Hamburg 3Vienna 3Amsterdam 2Athens 2Barcelona 2Berlin 2Copenhagen 2Dublin 2Galway 2Hanover 2Kraków 2Lisbon 2Madrid 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
🇷🇺 RussiaEastern Orthodox marriage
The Byzantine Rite ceremony where a priest crowns the couple to seal their union in Christ.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSevillanas
A traditional Andalusian folk dance performed by couples at weddings and local festivals in Spain.Performance · 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
🇵🇱 PolandSto lat
A Polish song sung to wish a person long life and good health at weddings and other gatherings.Performance · The wedding feast
🇺🇦 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
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 2 moreKransekakekransekage
A towering almond ring cake central to Scandinavian wedding and holiday traditions.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇹 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
🇪🇸 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
🇩🇪 Hamburg, Germany and 3 moreWimpelווימפל
A linen sash made from a baby boy's circumcision cloth that binds the Torah scroll.Adornment · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceLoutrophorosλουτροφόρος
An ancient Greek vessel that carried water for a bride's bath or marked an unmarried death.Attire · The weeks before
🇵🇱 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
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreEpithalamium
A poem or song written to celebrate a bride as she goes to her wedding chamber.Performance · The eve
🇩🇪 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
🇩🇪 Hanover, Germany and 5 moreBridal crownBrautkrone
A headdress worn by brides in Central and Northern Europe to symbolize purity and status.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCare cloth
A linen or silk cloth held over the heads of a bride and groom during a Christian wedding blessing.Attire · The ceremony
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreKorovaiкоровай (Ukrainian), каравай (Russian), кравай (Bulgarian)
A large round braided bread shared at weddings to bless the couple and unite the community.Feast custom · The ceremony
🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreWedding cord
A satin loop placed around the couple to symbolize their lifelong union in Catholic weddings.Rite · The ceremony
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and salt
A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBridal bouquet
The handheld flower arrangement carried by the bride during her wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandWedding of the Weddings
A Polish annual gathering for couples who chose alcohol-free wedding receptions.Feast custom · The ceremony
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια (Greek), Нестинарство (Bulgarian)
A barefoot firewalking ritual performed by Orthodox Christian communities in Greece and Bulgaria.Rite · The weeks before
🇳🇴 NorwayEsbat
A monthly Wiccan gathering held around the moon phases for ritual and communityBlessing · The ceremony
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreTuroń
A horned effigy that visits homes during Carnival to wish for fertility and collect gifts.Blessing · The weeks before
🇺🇦 UkraineMnohaya litaМногая літа
A Ukrainian song sung at weddings to wish the couple many years of life.Performance
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Epithalamium: Lorenzo Lotto, Public domain, source
- Polterabend: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bridal crown: Daderot, CC0, source
- Care cloth: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Korovai: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wedding cord: Phil! Gold, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wimpel: Wikipedia Loves Art participant " The_Grotto ", CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Loutrophoros: Picture taken by Marcus Cyron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Eastern Orthodox marriage: VitVit, CC BY 3.0, source
- Sevillanas: Anual, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kransekake: Kjetil Ree, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
- Mnohaya lita: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bridal bouquet: James Vick's Sons (Rochester, N.Y.); Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed, No restrictions, source
- Kolach: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source
- Turoń: Museum: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków, CC0, source