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.
🇪🇬 Egypt and 4 moreWaist beads
Strands of glass or seed worn around the hips to mark womanhood and track body changes in West and North Africa.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaOppanaഒപ്പന
A circle dance and song tradition of the Mappila Muslim community in Kerala weddingsPerformance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇩 Palembang, Indonesia and 2 moreSongketᬲᭀᬂᬓᬾᬢ᭄
A hand-woven brocade cloth patterned with gold or silver threads for traditional weddings in Southeast Asia.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇲🇦 Imilchil, MoroccoImilchil Marriage FestivalAgdoud N'Oulmghenni
A Berber marriage festival in Morocco where tribes gather to arrange unions and celebrate with music and dance.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇪 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
🇳🇬 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
🇬🇧 Edinburgh, United KingdomLuckenbooth brooch
A Scottish heart-shaped silver token of love and protection worn at weddings.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaHindi wedding songs
Film and folk music that accompanies the stages of a North Indian Hindu wedding.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇶 Baghdad, IraqWedding traditions in Iraq
A structured sequence of arranged matches, religious vows, and family feasts across Iraqi communities.Betrothal · 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
🇻🇳 VietnamTraditional Vietnamese weddingLễ cưới truyền thống Việt Nam
The multi-stage ceremony of betrothal, engagement and union that marks a marriage in Vietnam.Attire · Finding a match
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese pre-wedding customs三書六禮 (sàam syù luhk láih)
The traditional betrothal rituals of the Book of Rites that prepare a Chinese marriage.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding
The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreAcrostic ring
A jewelled band where gemstone initials spell a secret romantic word.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreXiapei霞帔
The embroidered scarf or waistcoat that marks a woman's status in Chinese and Korean weddingsAttire · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇭 Quezon City, PhilippinesBinukot
A Visayan custom of secluding young noblewomen to preserve their purity and elevate their marriage value.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇳🇱 NetherlandsPoffer
The elaborate white headdress worn by married women in the Netherlands to mark their status.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 1 moreKelaghayiKəlağayı
A traditional silk headscarf exchanged as a marriage proposal and worn at henna parties in Azerbaijan and Armenia.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇬 UgandaNaleyo
A courtship dance of the Karamojong people where men and women jump facing each other to find partners.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇷 South KoreaChaesang채상 (Chaesang)
Woven bamboo boxes used to store dowry items in traditional Korean weddingsGift custom · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Kelaghayi: Urmen19, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Xiapei: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Poffer: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Imilchil Marriage Festival: Zakaria ElQotbi, CC BY 2.0, source
- Luckenbooth brooch: Walker14806, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Binukot: Francisco Ignacio Alcina, Public domain, source
- Waist beads: Amuzujoe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Igbo traditional marriage: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Songket: Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
- Oppana: Shagil Kannur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Acrostic ring: Jlblackmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
- Chinese pre-wedding customs: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, CC0, source
- Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source