Wedding traditions of Oceania
Kava and the tapa cloth, the Maori powhiri and the Fijian lovo, Aboriginal ceremony and the Samoan fine mat. 16 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreʻIe tōga
Prestige woven mats exchanged at Samoan weddings to honor family ties and chiefly status.Attire · The ceremony
🇹🇴 Tonga and 2 moreTaʻovala
The woven pandanus mat worn around the waist for formal occasions and weddings in Tonga.Attire · The weeks before
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea and 5 moreSister exchange
A marriage arrangement where two brothers each take a sister from the other family as their wife.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇹🇴 TongaLakalaka
A formal Tongan group dance where performers stand in rows and move their arms to express respect.Performance · The ceremony
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea and 5 moreSister exchange
A marriage arrangement where two brothers each marry a sister from the other family.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreMeat raffle
A pub tradition where tickets are sold for a chance to win meat prizes for local teams or charity.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Sister exchange: Wilses, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Meat raffle: ef80, CC0, source
- ʻIe tōga: Sarah Kelemen, CC BY 2.0, source