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.

About this page

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.

🇬🇧 United KingdomGift registry A public wish list managed by retailers to coordinate wedding gifts and prevent duplicates.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreChicken DanceDer Ententanz A novelty polka song and accompanying hand movements performed at weddings and festivals.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 2 moreKransekakekransekage A towering almond ring cake central to Scandinavian wedding and holiday traditions.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇲🇰 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 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreKalamatianosΚαλαματιανός A popular Greek folk dance performed in a chain at weddings and social gatheringsPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇫🇷 FrancePièce montée A sculptural French dessert centerpiece made of nougat, sugar, and pastry for wedding banquets.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePolonaisePolonez A stately Polish partner dance in triple metre that opens weddings and formal celebrations.Performance · Procession and arrival

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

🇷🇺 RussiaLoving cup A large shared drinking vessel with two handles used in Christian rites and weddingsFeast custom · The wedding feast

🇷🇴 Romania and 7 moreHorahora (Romanian), horo (Bulgarian), oro (Macedonian), horah (Hebrew) A circle dance held at weddings across Southeast Europe and among Jewish communities worldwide.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇬🇧 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

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreCountry dance A social partner dance from England where couples follow a caller through repeated figures in long lines or squares.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and salt A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before 🇮🇸 IcelandIcelandic weddings A blend of church ceremony and multi-day feasting that marks the union of two people in Iceland.Feast custom · The ceremony 🇭🇺 HungaryVőfély The Hungarian wedding host who guides the couple through rites, speeches, and traditions.Family role · Finding a match 🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreMoney dance A reception ritual where guests give cash to the couple while dancing or showering them with notes.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇷🇸 Serbia and 2 moreKoloКоло A South Slavic circle dance performed at weddings and social gatherings across the Balkans.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

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

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

🇵🇱 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

🇩🇪 GermanyGroßvatertanz A traditional Saxon dance played at the end of wedding celebrations to mark the finale.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇺🇦 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

🇧🇬 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

🇫🇷 France and 2 moreBonbonniere A small decorative container holding sweets given as a wedding favor in several countries.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts 🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandWedding of the Weddings A Polish annual gathering for couples who chose alcohol-free wedding receptions.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇩🇪 GermanyLandshut WeddingLandshuter Hochzeit A four-year historical pageant in Bavaria re-enacting the 1475 royal marriage of George and Hedwig.Setting · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreQaytarma A Crimean Tatar folk dance of cyclical motion performed at weddings and holidays.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇬🇧 Newquay, United KingdomTroyl A Cornish barn dance or social gathering featuring music, song, and communal dancing.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇬🇷 Crete, Greece and 1 moreSyrtosΣυρτός A traditional Greek line dance where partners hold hands and follow a leader through slow and quick steps.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇮🇹 Montepulciano, ItalyBravio delle botti An annual barrel rolling race in Montepulciano that replaces a medieval horse race.Play · Reception, dance and gifts

🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreKlezmerקלעזמער The instrumental wedding music of Ashkenazi Jews, blending Eastern European and Jewish ritual melodies.Performance · Engagement and betrothal 🇭🇷 Croatia and 2 moreBećarac A humorous folk song sung at weddings and village parties in Eastern CroatiaPerformance · The wedding feast

🇮🇹 Viterbo, ItalyMacchina di Santa Rosa The annual procession in Viterbo where men carry a towering structure to honor their patron saint.Blessing · Procession and arrival

🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreKlezmerקלעזמער The instrumental dance music played by Ashkenazi Jewish musicians at weddings in Eastern Europe and beyondPerformance · Engagement and betrothal

🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreČočekčočек (Serbian/Macedonian), кючек (Bulgarian), çyçek/qyqek (Albanian), sistemul (Romanian), Tsifteteli (Greek) A Balkan wedding dance with a distinctive nine-beat rhythm, kept alive by Romani musicians and village celebrations.Performance · The wedding feast

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWhite tie The highest level of formal Western evening attire for men and womenAttire · The ceremony

Photo credits on this page

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

Landshut Wedding: Oktobersonne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Quaich: Robin-wood, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Qaytarma: Gottfried Heinrich Geißler, Public domain, source
Klezmer: Syrena Records (Warsaw), Public domain, source
Loving cup: Rhodian at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Hora: Chajeshukarie ( talk ), Public domain, source
Syrtos: Muriel Pécastaing-Boissière pour Cédric Boissière, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Čoček: Модернист, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
White tie: jonlo168, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Macchina di Santa Rosa: Amras Carnesîr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bulgarian wedding music: Allen Ruttenberg, CC BY 2.0, source
Wedding breakfast: Arpingstone, Public domain, source
Country dance: Engraving by William Hogarth, CC BY 4.0, source
Kransekake: Kjetil Ree, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chicken Dance: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Polonaise: Korneli Szlegel, Public domain, source
Klezmer: Unknown artist identified as "M.D.", Public domain, source
Bread and salt: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Pièce montée: Byron Company, Public domain, source
Kolo: Sasa.mazinjanin, Public domain, source
Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kolach: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bonbonniere: TitineH, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Großvatertanz: traditional, Public domain, source
Galičnik Wedding Festival: IvanaKrstik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source