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 13🇭🇷 Croatia 8🇨🇿 Czechia 4🇩🇰 Denmark 10🇪🇪 Estonia 2🇫🇮 Finland 9🇫🇷 France 30🇩🇪 Germany 31🇬🇷 Greece 23🇭🇺 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
🇩🇪 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
🇺🇦 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
🇬🇧 United KingdomGift registry
A public wish list managed by retailers to coordinate wedding gifts and prevent duplicates.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇫🇮 Finland and 5 moreBanns of marriagekuulutukset avioliittoon (Finnish)
The public announcement of an impending marriage in church or town hall to allow for legal objections.Vow · The weeks before
🇷🇺 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
🇭🇺 HungaryVőfély
The Hungarian wedding host who guides the couple through rites, speeches, and traditions.Family role · Finding a match
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMarriage bond
A financial guarantee posted to prove a couple was legally free to marry before the ceremony took place.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceGlobe de mariée
A glass bell jar used in France to hold the bride's bouquet and preserve family memories.Adornment · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreQuaker wedding
A silent ceremony where Friends witness each other's vows without clergy or rigid rituals.Rite · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreGroomsman
A male attendant who supports the groom and assists guests at a wedding.Family role · Finding a match
🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreEngagement party
A gathering to announce a new engagement and introduce the two families before the wedding.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreRèiteach
A Scottish Gaelic betrothal ceremony where families negotiate marriage terms and celebrate with whisky.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreRadonitsaРа́доница (Russian), Прóводи (Ukrainian), Ра́даўніца (Belarusian)
The Orthodox memorial day that lifts fasting restrictions and officially opens the wedding season.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 3 moreMartenitsaмартеница
White and red yarn charms worn in the Balkans to welcome spring and wish for good health.Adornment · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Globe de mariée: Alain Amet, CC BY 4.0, source
- Radonitsa: Perohanych, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Groomsman: Jenny Mealing, CC BY 2.0, source
- Banns of marriage: After William Hemsley, CC0, source
- Bread and salt: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
- Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Marriage bond: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Wimpel: Wikipedia Loves Art participant " The_Grotto ", CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Martenitsa: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Engagement party: Melissa Gupta, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source