Wedding traditions with crowns and wreaths
Crowns and wreaths turn the bride and groom into a king and queen for a day.
Crowns and wreaths turn the bride and groom into a king and queen for a day. Common in Orthodox Christian rites, in Scandinavia and in Central Europe, they are made of metal, flowers, leaves, myrtle or orange blossom.
Crowns in the rite
In Orthodox weddings crowns, called stefana in Greek, are placed on the heads of the couple, who become the king and queen of their own household, and in some traditions they stand for martyrdom as well as glory. In Sweden the bride may wear a crown, and in Norway a silver crown, the brudekrone, is lent by the church or family. In Poland a bride may be crowned at the oczepiny. In Korean weddings the bride might wear a jokduri, a small crown.
Wreaths of leaf and flower
Ancient Greeks and Romans wore wreaths of myrtle, marjoram and other leaves, and orange blossom became the Western bridal flower in the nineteenth century. In Ukraine the bride wears a vinok, a wreath of flowers and ribbons, and in Hungary and Germany myrtle wreaths are used. Today flower crowns appear in many styles of wedding.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Crowns and wreaths (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇰🇿 KazakhstanBetasharбеташар
The lifting of the bride's veil by the groom's mother during a Kazakh wedding ceremonyRite · The ceremony
🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaWedding customs in Ethiopia
A collection of diverse marriage rites across Ethiopian tribes and the Orthodox Christian community.Rite · Finding a match
🇷🇺 RussiaEastern Orthodox marriage
The Byzantine Rite ceremony where a priest crowns the couple to seal their union in Christ.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇿 Ludzidzini Royal Village, Eswatini and 1 moreUmhlanga
The annual Swazi and Zulu gathering where young women cut reeds to preserve chastity and offer tribute labour.Rite · The eve
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreHandfastingceangal na lámh (Irish); pòsadh-bliadhna (Scottish Gaelic)
A pledge ceremony where a couple joins hands to make a binding marriage contract or engagement.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 United StatesNavajo wedding ceremony
A Navajo marriage ritual centred on harmony, family union, and nature inside a Hogan.Rite · The eve
🇷🇺 RussiaRussian wedding traditionsРусская свадьба
A multi-day celebration blending Orthodox crowning, ransom games, and lively toasting in Russia.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreMystery of Crowning
The crowning ritual in Eastern Christian weddings that marks the couple as king and queen.Rite · The ceremony
🇷🇴 Ieud, RomaniaNunta mortului
A symbolic Romanian rite that dresses an unmarried dead person as a bride or groom to complete their life cycle.Rite · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Betashar: Steve Evans, CC BY 2.0, source
- Eastern Orthodox marriage: VitVit, CC BY 3.0, source
- Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Navajo wedding ceremony: Neeta Lind, CC BY 2.0, source
- Umhlanga: Amada44, Public domain, source
- Nunta mortului: Iosif Berman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mystery of Crowning: Shakko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source