Wedding traditions with gold and jewellery
Gold is the wedding metal.
Gold is the wedding metal. It does not tarnish, it can be melted and reworked, and it is a store of value for a bride who may own little else. In many cultures a bride's gold is her own security and her family's pride.
Gold as security
In India a bride's gold, from the mangalsutra to a full set of necklace, bangles and earrings, is part of her stridhan, a woman's property. In the Arab world and North Africa, gold in the mahr and the shabka, the gift from the groom's family, is a settlement in her name. In Turkey guests pin gold coins to the bride at the henna night or the wedding, and in Egypt the shabka is a set of jewellery. Berber and Bedouin brides wear silver as a portable asset.
Weight and worry
The price of gold is a concern for families, and in India and the Gulf the cost of a wedding can rise and fall with it. Some governments and communities have capped weights or asked for smaller gifts. Recycled gold and gold from certified mines are choices for those who are concerned about the environment.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Gold and jewellery (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreʻIe tōga
Prestige woven mats exchanged at Samoan weddings to honor family ties and chiefly status.Attire · The ceremony
🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Mexico and 1 moreHuipilhuīpīlli
The traditional tunic worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Central America for weddings and daily life.Attire · The weeks before
🇺🇦 UkraineSong about the RushnykПісня про рушник (Pisnia pro rushnyk)
A Ukrainian song that celebrates the embroidered cloth used in weddings and family life.Performance · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaFengguan xiapei凤冠霞帔
The traditional Han Chinese wedding ensemble of a phoenix crown and embroidered robes worn by brides in the Ming and QinAttire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର)
The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇬 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
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWedding ring
A metal circle worn on the finger to show that a person is married.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 2 moreKimeshekкимешек (Kazakh/Karakalpak), элечек (Kyrgyz)
The traditional white headgear worn by married women with children in Central AsiaAttire · After the wedding
🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 2 moreKarva Chauthकरकचतुर्थी (Karakachaturthī)
A Hindu festival where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for their husband's health and life.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇳🇱 NetherlandsPoffer
The elaborate white headdress worn by married women in the Netherlands to mark their status.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.
- Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
- Poffer: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Karva Chauth: Iamwiki001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kimeshek: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kjfnjy/, CC BY 2.0, source
- ʻIe tōga: Sarah Kelemen, CC BY 2.0, source
- Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Igbo traditional marriage: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Fengguan xiapei: Unknown author, CC0, source