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.
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelSame-sex marriage in Israel
Legal recognition for same-sex couples through foreign or online marriages due to the absence of civil marriage in IsraeModern · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSame-sex marriage in ArgentinaMatrimonio igualitario
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that made Argentina the first nation in Latin America to permit them.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇲🇹 MaltaSame-sex marriage in MaltaŻwieġ bejn persuni tal-istess sess
The legal recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Malta.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 United StatesSelf-uniting marriage
A wedding where the couple marries each other without a third-party officiant.Vow · The ceremony
🇪🇸 Madrid, SpainSame-sex marriage in SpainMatrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo en España
The national law that legalized same-sex marriage and adoption rights for couples in Spain.Modern · The ceremony
🇸🇪 Stockholm, SwedenSame-sex marriage in SwedenSambolydning i Sverige
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Sweden since 2009.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇾 Montevideo, UruguaySame-sex marriage in Uruguay
The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples in Uruguay since 2013Modern · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaNaked marriage裸婚 (luǒhūn)
A wedding without a house, car, or ring, chosen by couples in China for love and financial necessity.Modern · The weeks before
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSame-sex marriage in Thailandสมรสเท่าเทียม (Somrot Thaothiam)
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that took effect in January 2025.Modern · The ceremony
🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSame-sex marriage in Switzerland
The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples following a national referendum.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreElopement
A secret marriage conducted without parental approval or public notice to bypass objections or legal barriers.Modern · The weeks before
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreInterfaith marriage in Judaismשִׁדּוּג חַלּוּץ (Shidug Chalutz) / אינטרפייט מריאז' (Interafeyt Mariyaz')
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🇮🇳 IndiaChild marriage in India
A contested practice where minors marry, defined by law as unions involving a bride under 18.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇫🇮 FinlandSame-sex marriage in Finlandsukupuolineutraali avioliitto
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that took effect in Finland on 1 March 2017.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇧🇪 Kapellen, BelgiumSame-sex marriage in Belgiumhomohuwelijk / mariage homosexuel
The legal union of two people of the same sex, available since June 2003.Modern · The ceremony
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreProxy marriage
A union where one or both partners are absent and represented by another person.Vow · The ceremony
🇹🇼 Taipei, TaiwanSame-sex marriage in Taiwan
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Taiwan, the first in Asia.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreNude wedding
A ceremony where the couple or guests participate without clothing.Modern · The ceremony
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreCollective wedding
A single ceremony where many couples exchange vows and become married at once.Modern · The ceremony
🇵🇹 Lisbon, PortugalSame-sex marriage in PortugalCasamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo
The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex in Portugal.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇸 IcelandSame-sex marriage in Icelandsamkynja hjónaband
The legal union of two people regardless of gender, established in Iceland in 2010.Modern · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreHumanist wedding
A non-religious marriage ceremony led by a trained humanist officiant, celebrated in many countries worldwide.Rite · The ceremony
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Denmarkægteskab mellem personer af samme køn
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Denmark since 2012, following a pioneering partnership law from 1989.Modern · The ceremony
🇬🇧 London, United KingdomSame-sex marriage in the United Kingdom
The legal recognition of same-sex unions across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.Modern · The ceremony
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands and 5 moreSame-sex marriage
The legal union of two people of the same sex or gender, recognized in dozens of countries.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreInterfaith marriage
A union between spouses of different faiths, navigating legal and religious boundaries across the world.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsSame-sex marriage in the Netherlandshuwelijk tussen personen van gelijk geslacht
The first national law to allow two people of the same sex to wed.Modern · The ceremony
🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaSame-sex marriage in Australia
The legal recognition of marriages between two people of the same gender in Australia.Modern · The ceremony
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Brazil
The nationwide legal recognition of same-sex unions following a 2013 judicial ruling.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreLavender marriage
A heterosexual union formed to hide the queer identity of one or both partners and protect a public career.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇿🇦 Cape Town, South AfricaSame-sex marriage in South Africa
The legal recognition of same-sex unions established by the Civil Union Act of 2006.Modern · The ceremony
🇺🇿 UzbekistanPolygamy in Uzbekistan
The practice of men taking multiple wives in a country where the law strictly forbids it.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇺 Australia and 5 moreCelebrancy
A profession of secular officiants who create personalised life ceremonies for people outside traditional religious or sModern · The weeks before
🇱🇮 Vaduz, LiechtensteinSame-sex marriage in Liechtenstein
The civil union that grants equal marital rights to all couples in the Alpine principality.Modern · The ceremony
🇺🇸 United StatesSame-sex marriage in the Northern Mariana Islands
Legal recognition of same-sex unions in a U.S. territory that became a popular destination for international couples.Modern · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in Guernsey
The legal recognition of same-sex unions across the Bailiwick of Guernsey and its dependencies.Modern · The ceremony
🇰🇭 Phnom Penh, CambodiaSame-sex marriage in Cambodia
The legal status and local registry for same-sex couples in Cambodia.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇲🇨 Monaco, MonacoRecognition of same-sex unions in Monacocontrat de vie commune; union civile
Legal frameworks for same-sex couples in Monaco, from cohabitation agreements to ongoing civil union debates.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSame-sex marriage in Indonesia
The legal status and social reality of same-sex unions under Indonesian law.Modern · The ceremony
🇪🇸 A Coruña, Spain and 2 moreFirst same-sex marriage in Spain
The 1901 union of two women in Galicia that preceded legal recognition by over a centuryModern · The ceremony
🇨🇴 Bogotá, ColombiaSame-sex marriage in Colombia
The legal recognition of same-sex unions established by the Constitutional Court in 2016.Modern · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
The legal recognition of same-sex unions across the three island groups since 2017.Modern · The ceremony
🇸🇮 SloveniaSame-sex marriage in SloveniaZakonska zveza istospolnih partnerjev
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that evolved from limited partnerships to full marriage rights.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇩 AndorraSame-sex marriage in AndorraMatrimoni entre persones del mateix sexe
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Pyrenean principality since 2023.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇱🇺 Luxembourg City, LuxembourgSame-sex marriage in Luxembourg
The civil union that allows two people of the same sex to wed in Luxembourg since 2015.Modern · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in the British Indian Ocean Territory
Legal recognition of same-sex unions for military personnel stationed on Diego Garcia since 2014.Modern · The ceremony
🇦🇹 Vienna, AustriaSame-sex marriage in Austria
Civil marriage and partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples in AustriaVow · The ceremony
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Same-sex marriage in Argentina: Víctor Buggé, CC BY 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Spain: FELGTB Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Trans y Bisexuales, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Israel: דוד שי, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Thailand: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- Recognition of same-sex unions in South Korea: Nerd271, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Interfaith marriage in Judaism: Rembrandt, Public domain, source
- Child marriage in India: Baijayant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Belgium: flamenc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Proxy marriage: Alejandro Cicarelli, Public domain, source
- Same-sex marriage in Taiwan: Guy of taipei, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- First same-sex marriage in Spain: Jglamela, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nude wedding: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, source
- Collective wedding: Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Pará, Public domain, source
- Same-sex marriage in Iceland: Stanko Gruden/STA/Predsednik Republike Slovenije, CC0, source
- Same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom: blavoulondon - blavou.co, CC BY 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands: Jeffpw, CC BY 3.0, source
- Lavender marriage: Katharine Cornell and the Playwrights' Company; Vandamm Studio, photog, Public domain, source
- Same-sex marriage in Denmark: PavelStotsko, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Same-sex marriage: Stefano Bolognini, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Brazil: Fabio Pozzebom/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, source
- Same-sex marriage in Colombia: Diego Cambiaso, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Humanist wedding: User:m5 , Hans Bernhard ( Schnobby ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Australia: Mikeybear, CC BY-SA 3.0, source