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.
🇵🇭 Quezon City, PhilippinesBinukot
A Visayan custom of secluding young noblewomen to preserve their purity and elevate their marriage value.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇰🇪 Kenya and 1 moreAdumuEnkipaata or Aigus
The high-jumping warrior dance performed by the Maasai at weddings and rites of passage.Performance · The ceremony
🇮🇳 Jaipur, IndiaGhoomarघूमर
A twirling folk dance performed by women in Rajasthan to welcome a bride or celebrate auspicious occasions.Performance · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South KoreaChaesang채상 (Chaesang)
Woven bamboo boxes used to store dowry items in traditional Korean weddingsGift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇹 Siena, ItalyMarch of the PalioMarcia del Palio
The brass anthem played during the historical parade before Siena's horse race.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreDożynki
A Slavic harvest festival where farmers bring the last sheaf of grain to the village in a ceremonial wreath.Feast custom · After the wedding
🇲🇷 MauritaniaT'heydinnالتهيدين (al-T'haydīn)
A Mauritanian Moorish epic performance of poetry and music kept by griot families.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇷🇴 Romania and 1 morePerinița
A Romanian circle dance where a pillow marks the last partner dance for unmarried youth before a wedding.Performance · The eve
🇺🇬 UgandaEkitaguriro
A traditional Ankole dance celebrating cattle and community milestones like marriage.Performance · The wedding feast
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreCloud collar云肩 (yúnjiān)
A detachable shoulder collar worn by Han Chinese brides to frame the face and symbolize cosmic order.Attire · The weeks before
🇹🇳 Tunis, TunisiaTunisian jebbaجبة
A loose traditional tunic worn by Tunisian men and women for weddings and festivals.Attire · Procession and arrival
🇩🇿 Tlemcen, AlgeriaChedda of Tlemcenشدة تلمسانية (Shadda Tlimsānī)
The velvet and gold kaftan worn by brides in Tlemcen, Algeria, for their wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇺🇬 UgandaNaleyo
A courtship dance of the Karamojong people where men and women jump facing each other to find partners.Performance · 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
🇧🇷 Recife, BrazilFrevo
A fast, acrobatic dance and musical style from Recife that turns Carnival street parades into a display of agility.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreNose jewelNath
A nose piercing ornament that signals marital status and social standing in South Asia and beyond.Adornment · The weeks before
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreBekisheבעקישע (bekishe) or בעקעטשע (beketche)
A long black coat worn by Hasidic men on the Sabbath and at weddings.Attire · The ceremony
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
- Tunisian jebba: Touzrimounir, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cloud collar: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Ekitaguriro: Aubry Arihona, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dożynki: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ghoomar: Aali Jain, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bekishe: JJ211219 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Adumu: K15photos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Frevo: Prefeitura de Olinda, CC BY 2.0, source
- Binukot: Francisco Ignacio Alcina, Public domain, source
- Chedda of Tlemcen: Dezedien, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nose jewel: Etan Doronne @ www.myindiaexperience.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, source