Reception, dance and gifts
The first dance, the money dance, the cake, the envelopes and the long night of dancing.
Reception is when the formal part ends and the party begins. There are speeches, a first dance, the cutting of the cake, the money dance, the gift envelopes and long hours of music. It is a mix of the traditional and the new, and it usually decides how the day is remembered.
Speeches and first dance
In Britain speeches come from the father of the bride, the groom and the best man. In Ireland the father and the best man speak, and in Germany a friend performs a skit. In Greece and the Balkans, a circle dance like the kalamatianos opens the floor. The first dance may be a waltz, a pop song or a choreographed set.
Money and gifts
The money dance is performed in the Philippines, Poland and Greece, where guests pin banknotes on the couple. In Jewish and Arab weddings, guests may give cash. In China and Vietnam, red envelopes are given at the door. In Nigeria spraying cash on dancers is common, though it is regulated in some places. In the West gifts come from a registry or a honeymoon fund.
The end of the night
Weddings end with a last dance, a bouquet or garter toss, a sparkler exit or the couple's departure in a decorated car. In India the vidaai marks the bride's emotional departure from her parents' home.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Reception, dance and gifts (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.
🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreKente clothnwentoma
Hand-woven silk and cotton strips from Ghana that mark weddings and graduationsAttire · The ceremony
🇳🇬 Iseyin, Nigeria and 2 moreAso okeAṣọ òkè
Hand-woven cloth worn by the Yoruba for weddings and formal gatheringsAttire · The ceremony
🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 3 moreAso ebiAsọ-Ẹbí
Matching outfits worn by groups to show solidarity at Yoruba weddings and other ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before
🇪🇹 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
🇲🇱 MaliWeddings in Mali
Multi-day Malian wedding traditions blending Islamic rites, civil law, and local customs with bazin attire.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito
A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast
🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 2 moreOwanbeÓwàńbẹ̀
The extravagant Yoruba celebration where music, fashion, and money spraying mark life's milestones.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreBaju Kurungباجو كوروڠ
The traditional blouse and skirt worn by Malay women for weddings and religious ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before
🇳🇬 NigeriaIgbo traditional marriageIgba Nkwu
The multi-stage Igbo marriage process that formalizes a union through family negotiations and the wine-carrying ceremonyRite · Finding a match
🇺🇦 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
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions
Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding clothes
Traditional garments worn by Indian couples and guests across multiple days of celebrationAttire · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBridal bouquet
The handheld flower arrangement carried by the bride during her wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇱 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
🇲🇦 Tangier, MoroccoNegafanggafa (Tamazight); ziyyāna (Arabic)
The traditional Moroccan bridal dresser who manages the bride's appearance and wedding rituals.Attire · The weeks before
🇫🇷 FranceGarter toss
The groom removes the bride's garter and tosses it to unmarried men at the reception.Play · Reception, dance and gifts
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBridesmaid
A female attendant who supports the bride during a Western wedding ceremony.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର)
The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇯🇵 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
🇳🇬 NigeriaYoruba traditional weddingIgbeyawo
The multi-day Yoruba marriage ceremony featuring traditional attire, family introductions, and the Eru Iyawo gift list.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇷 South KoreaHwarot활옷
The embroidered Korean gown worn by brides during the pyebaek ceremony.Attire · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 IndiaMeitei weddingLuhongba (ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ)
The traditional union of the Meitei people, marked by clan exogamy and specific courtship rituals.Rite · Finding a match
🇹🇴 Tonga and 2 moreTaʻovala
The woven pandanus mat worn around the waist for formal occasions and weddings in Tonga.Attire · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWhite wedding
A formal Western ceremony marked by a white bridal gown and traditional Christian rituals.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Garter toss: MorningTea, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Baju Kurung: Ministry of Information official photographer, Public domain, source
- Weddings in Mali: HawaG, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yoruba traditional wedding: Fhadekhemmy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- Kente cloth: ZSM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Aso oke: Wolf D., Public domain, source
- Aso ebi: SUPREME LACE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Zuria: Kurt Bauschardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Hwarot: Unknown author, No restrictions, source
- Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Igbo traditional marriage: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
- Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Indian wedding clothes: Lee Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bridal bouquet: James Vick's Sons (Rochester, N.Y.); Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed, No restrictions, source
- Chuppah: me, Public domain, source
- Negafa: Amine.elbahij, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bridesmaid: Photographer not credited; relative or work for hire of relative., CC BY-SA 4.0, source