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.

🇮🇱 IsraelSeudat nissuinSeudat nissuin (סעודת נישואין) The Jewish wedding meal blessed with wine and bread, followed by seven days of celebration.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇬🇧 United KingdomQuaichcuach A shallow two-handled cup used in Scottish weddings to share a drink and symbolise union.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay A traditional line and circle dance performed across Turkey and surrounding regions at weddings.Performance · The ceremony

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 1 moreKazakh wedding ceremonyҮйлену тойы (Üilenu toiy) The multi-stage Kazakh marriage process featuring the face-revealing feast and the Islamic religious contract.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇲🇰 Galičnik, North MacedoniaGaličnik Wedding FestivalГаличка свадба (Galička svadba) A recreated traditional wedding in a North Macedonian village that turns a local rite into an annual festival.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇲🇦 Imilchil, MoroccoImilchil Marriage FestivalAgdoud N'Oulmghenni A Berber marriage festival in Morocco where tribes gather to arrange unions and celebrate with music and dance.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇮🇩 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

🇲🇲 MyanmarMarriage in Myanmar A blend of Buddhist rites, astrological timing, and family negotiations that defines union across Myanmar's diverse ethnRite · Finding a match

🇨🇱 Santiago, Chile and 3 moreCueca A courtship dance from Chile and the Andes where couples trace circles with handkerchiefs to reenact a rooster and hen.Performance · The eve

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

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMandapaमण्डप (maṇḍapa) The pillared pavilion that serves as the stage for Hindu wedding rituals and temple gatherings.Setting · The ceremony 🇮🇷 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

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 3 moreJewish wedding The ceremony and laws that bind a couple in Jewish marriage, from the canopy to the glass.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaChaklong wedding The traditional Ahom marriage system involving rice powder mandalas and ancestral rituals.Rite · 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

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWhite wedding A formal Western ceremony marked by a white bridal gown and traditional Christian rituals.Attire · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSheva Brachotשבע ברכות The seven blessings recited during Jewish weddings and the subsequent festive week.Blessing · The ceremony

🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian weddingТрадиційне українське весілля A multi-day sequence of folk rites, bread baking and church vows that marks the transition from maidenhood to married liRite · Finding a match

🇻🇳 VietnamPhu Thê CakeBánh phu thê A Vietnamese mung bean cake exchanged by the couple to wish for a happy marriageFeast custom · The ceremony 🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match 🇮🇳 IndiaTelugu Hindu weddingతెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక A multi-day Telugu Hindu marriage marked by seven vows around fire and family rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before 🇮🇶 Mosul, IraqWedding traditions in Iraq The arranged courtship, religious rites and multi-day celebrations that mark marriage in Iraqi society.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇮🇷 Tehran, Iran and 1 moreIranian weddingمراسم عروسی در ایران A multi-stage ceremony rooted in Zoroastrianism and Islam that binds families through courtship, feasts, and sacred vowsRite · Finding a match

🇸🇿 EswatiniUmtsimbauntsimba A multi-day Swazi wedding procession where the bride joins her husband's family through ritualised stages.Rite · Finding a match

🇷🇺 RussiaRussian wedding traditionsРусская свадьба A multi-day celebration blending Orthodox crowning, ransom games, and lively toasting in Russia.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali Muslim weddingবাঙালি মুসলিম বিয়ে A multi-day Bengali Muslim marriage blending Islamic rites with local folk traditions.Rite · The weeks before

🇺🇦 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

🇳🇬 NigeriaYoruba traditional weddingIgbeyawo The multi-day Yoruba marriage ceremony featuring traditional attire, family introductions, and the Eru Iyawo gift list.Attire · 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

🇬🇧 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 🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding A Zoroastrian marriage ceremony featuring hand-fastening, rice sprinkling, and shared meals.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreBulgarian wedding musicсватбарска музика Fast-paced instrumental music played at Bulgarian weddings that blends folk, Romani, and Turkish styles.Performance · The ceremony

🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreHausa traditional marriage The Islamic marriage rites of the Hausa people in Northern Nigeria and Niger.Rite · Finding a match

Photo credits on this page

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

Iranian wedding: Flickr.com user "avlxyz", CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Umtsimba: Cat7624, CC0, source
Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Korovai: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Quaich: Robin-wood, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Cueca: Manuel Antonio Caro, Public domain, source
Yoruba traditional wedding: Fhadekhemmy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lithuanian wedding songs: Gailė Paštukaitė, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Marriage in Myanmar: Thant Zin Myint, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Wedding breakfast: Arpingstone, Public domain, source
Alpana: Tripan123, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mandapa: Rajendran Ganesan, CC BY 2.0, source
Galičnik Wedding Festival: IvanaKrstik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Imilchil Marriage Festival: Zakaria ElQotbi, CC BY 2.0, source
Bulgarian wedding music: Allen Ruttenberg, CC BY 2.0, source
Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
Kazakh wedding ceremony: jerome taylor, CC BY 2.0, source
Jewish wedding: Jozef Israëls, Public domain, source
Chaklong wedding: Chiring chandan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Hausa traditional marriage: Bembety, CC0, source
Sheva Brachot: מנחם יוסיפון, CC0, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Phu Thê Cake: JeanFousrou52, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source