The ceremony

The vows, the rites, the blessing and the moment the marriage is made.

The ceremony is the moment the marriage is made, in religion, in law or in both. It may last five minutes or five hours. It may be held at a temple, a mosque, a church, a registry office, a garden or at home. What it has in common everywhere is that someone witnesses and the couple agree.

What is required

In Islam the core is the offer, the acceptance and two witnesses, with the mahr agreed. In Judaism the ring is given before witnesses under the chuppah and the ketubah is signed. In Hinduism the saptapadi before the fire completes the marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act in India. In Catholic and Protestant weddings the exchange of vows is the key, with a priest or minister present. In civil weddings the declaration before a registrar is what counts.

Many ways to do it

Orthodox Christians crown the couple and share the common cup. Sikhs circle the Guru Granth Sahib four times in the lavan. Bahá'í couples each say a single verse before two witnesses. Chinese families once bowed to Heaven and Earth, to the parents and to each other. Many Indigenous weddings include a blanket, a pipe or a dance, depending on the nation. Quakers sit in silence until the couple stand and speak.

Making it your own

Couples now ask friends to officiate, write vows, include readings from different traditions, and choose music. Some ceremonies are bilingual, and many couples use a mix of two religions. The law still requires a few set words in many countries, and it is worth checking.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on The ceremony (stage of the wedding). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇮🇳 Jodhpur, India and 1 moreAchkanअचकन (Hindi), اچکن (Urdu) A long, side-fastening jacket worn by grooms and men at formal Indian weddings.Attire · The ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaOonjal A decorated swing where the Tamil bride and groom sit to receive family blessings.Blessing · The ceremony 🇺🇦 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

🇺🇦 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

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToe ring A silver band worn on the second toe to mark a woman as married in India.Adornment · The ceremony

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and 1 moreZuria The ankle-length dress with woven hem bands worn by Tigrinya and Amhara women for weddings and holidays.Attire · The weeks before

🇳🇬 Nigeria and 2 moreGeleGèlè The towering Yoruba head tie that crowns the bride and marks her status on the wedding day.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇹 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 🇮🇳 IndiaNishekam The Hindu rite of consummation on the first night after marriageRite · The ceremony

🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Mexico and 1 moreHuipilhuīpīlli The traditional tunic worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Central America for weddings and daily life.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇱 IsraelMazel tovמזל טוב The Jewish phrase said to congratulate someone on a happy occasion or good fortune.Blessing · The ceremony

🇪🇸 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 🇮🇷 Shiraz, Iran and 5 moreUlulation A high-pitched trilling sound made by women to celebrate weddings and share good news across many cultures.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇰🇿 KazakhstanBetasharбеташар The lifting of the bride's veil by the groom's mother during a Kazakh wedding ceremonyRite · The ceremony

🇱🇦 Laos and 1 moreBaciບາສີ (Lao); บายศรี (Thai) The wrist-tying ceremony that calls the soul back to restore balance and good luck.Blessing · The ceremony

🇯🇵 JapanTamagushitamagushi (玉串) A decorated sakaki branch offered to kami during Shinto wedding ceremonies and other rites.Rite · The ceremony

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKenduri A communal feast and prayer gathering held by Javanese and Malay communities to mark life events.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇷🇺 RussiaEastern Orthodox marriage The Byzantine Rite ceremony where a priest crowns the couple to seal their union in Christ.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇫🇯 FijiTabua A polished sperm whale tooth exchanged as a gift in Fijian weddings and ceremonies.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇱 IsraelSeudat nissuinSeudat nissuin (סעודת נישואין) The Jewish wedding meal blessed with wine and bread, followed by seven days of celebration.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreKente clothnwentoma Hand-woven silk and cotton strips from Ghana that mark weddings and graduationsAttire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLaavaanਲਾਵਾਂ ਫੇਰੇ (Lavan) The four sacred hymns sung during the Anand Karaj that guide a Sikh couple through spiritual stages of married life.Rite · The ceremony

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAlpanaআলপনা (Bengali) Rice flour floor paintings that bless homes and mark wedding celebrations in Bengal.Adornment · The weeks before

🇸🇩 Khartoum, SudanJirtigالجَرْتِقْ (Arabic) A Sudanese inauguration ritual where the groom is symbolically crowned as a king.Rite · The weeks before

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreDouble Happiness双喜 (shuāngxǐ) The red calligraphy symbol made of two joy characters that marks Chinese wedding celebrations.Adornment · The weeks before 🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreWedding music The songs and instruments that mark the arrival of the couple and set the mood for the celebration.Performance · The weeks before 🇦🇫 AfghanistanAhesta Beroآهسته برو The song played to welcome the bride and groom into the wedding hall in AfghanistanPerformance · Procession and arrival

🇱🇰 Sri LankaPoruwa ceremony The Sinhalese wedding ritual performed on a carved wooden platform with betel leaves and milk rice.Rite · The ceremony

🇩🇪 Hanover, Germany and 5 moreBridal crownBrautkrone A headdress worn by brides in Central and Northern Europe to symbolize purity and status.Attire · The ceremony

🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShinto wedding神前結婚 (Shinzen kekkon) A Shinto purification ritual featuring sake sharing and kimono attire held at a shrine or venue.Rite · 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 🇨🇳 ChinaJiaobeijiu交杯酒 The ancient Chinese rite of sharing wine from linked cups to seal a marriage.Rite · 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 🇺🇸 United StatesIndian Wedding Blessing A modern poem often recited at weddings in the United States, falsely attributed to Native American traditions.Blessing · The ceremony 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChuraचूरा (Hindi) The red and white bangles that mark a bride's new status in Indian Hindu weddingsAttire · The weeks before

🇹🇴 Tonga and 2 moreTaʻovala The woven pandanus mat worn around the waist for formal occasions and weddings in Tonga.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSheva Brachotשבע ברכות The seven blessings recited during Jewish weddings and the subsequent festive week.Blessing · The ceremony 🇹🇴 TongaLakalaka A formal Tongan group dance where performers stand in rows and move their arms to express respect.Performance · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United StatesUnity candle A modern wedding ritual where a couple lights a central candle from two tapers to symbolize their union.Rite · The ceremony

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreMarriage coin charm夫妇和合花钱 (fū fù hé hé huā qián) Numismatic amulets from East Asia that carry wedding blessings and fertility symbols.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaAyyavazhi wedding The sacred rite of Ayyavazhi that treats marriage as a spiritual sacrament and family life as the highest austerity.Rite · Procession and arrival

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToporটোপর The fragile white conical crown worn by the Bengali Hindu groom for luck.Attire · The weeks before

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBridal bouquet The handheld flower arrangement carried by the bride during her wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony

🇵🇱 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

🇹🇭 ThailandKhanom Si Thuaiขนมสี่ถ้วย A Thai wedding dessert of four sweet cups symbolizing harmony and lasting love.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇨🇳 ChinaHonggaitou紅蓋頭 The red bridal veil worn by Han Chinese brides to cover their faces before the wedding night.Attire · Procession and arrival

🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreChuppahחֻפָּה (ḥuppā) The four-poster canopy that marks the Jewish wedding ceremony and symbolizes the couple's new home.Setting · The ceremony

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Jirtig: Alzain Mohammed, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Poruwa ceremony: A Derivative Work by MediaJet ,, CC BY 2.0, source
Bridal crown: Daderot, CC0, source
Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
Betashar: Steve Evans, CC BY 2.0, source
Baci: Dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Eastern Orthodox marriage: VitVit, CC BY 3.0, source
Tabua: Hannes Grobe /AWI, CC BY 3.0, source
Kente cloth: ZSM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Laavaan: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
Alpana: Tripan123, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Toe ring: Wikiss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Zuria: Kurt Bauschardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Gele: Royalesignature, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
Mazel tov: Iwona Erskine-Kellie, CC BY 2.0, source
Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Sheva Brachot: מנחם יוסיפון, CC0, source
Unity candle: Dvillasmil, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Marriage coin charm: Scott Semans, CC BY 3.0, source
Ayyavazhi wedding: Vaikunda Raja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Topor: Sumit Paul-Choudhury, CC BY 2.0, source
Double Happiness: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, 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
Khanom Si Thuai: Siripitch Chaiyabutra, CC0, source
Honggaitou: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
Chuppah: me, Public domain, source
Tamagushi: Urashimataro, Public domain, source