Wedding traditions with money and envelopes
Money is part of nearly every wedding.
Money is part of nearly every wedding. It is pinned to the dress, sprayed on dancers, tucked in an envelope, collected on a dance or handed to a family in a negotiation. How it is given, who sees it and what is said about it shows a lot about a community.
Envelopes and gifts
Chinese and Vietnamese guests give red envelopes, hongbao or li xi, with amounts that have lucky numbers, avoiding four. Koreans give envelopes to the couple, and Japanese guests give goshugi, in a special envelope with a knot, in crisp new notes and amounts in odd numbers. In India a shagun envelope is given, often with a one-rupee coin added, and in the Gulf and Jewish weddings, guests also give cash.
Dances, sprays and who pays
At Philippine and Polish weddings, guests pin cash to the bride or pay for a dance, and at Nigerian weddings, spraying notes is common. In Greece the couple may have money pinned to their clothes. In many places the bride's family or the groom pays, or both, and weddings are a heavy cost. Registries and honeymoon funds are an alternative, and some couples ask for a donation to charity instead.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Money and envelopes (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇲🇲 MyanmarMarriage in Myanmar
A blend of Buddhist rites, astrological timing, and family negotiations that defines union across Myanmar's diverse ethnRite · Finding a match
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreBride price
Wealth paid by the groom or his family to the bride or her kin to formalize a union.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreDower
A share of the husband's property set aside to secure a woman's life if he dies first.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanAzerbaijani wedding traditionsAzərbaycanın toy adətləri
The multi-step family rituals of Azerbaijani weddings, from matchmaking to the henna night.Rite · Finding a match
🇿🇦 South Africa and 1 moreLobololobola (Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi, Ndebele), mahadi (Sesotho), mahari (Swahili), magadi (Sepedi), bogadi (Setswana), lovola (Xi
The livestock or cash payment from a groom's family to a bride's family that formalizes a customary marriage in SouthernGift custom · Finding a match
🇨🇦 CanadaStag and doe
A Canadian fundraiser where guests pay to help the couple cover wedding costs.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreDowry
A payment of wealth from the bride's family to the groom or his household at marriage.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMarriage bond
A financial guarantee posted to prove a couple was legally free to marry before the ceremony took place.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreHausa traditional marriage
The Islamic marriage rites of the Hausa people in Northern Nigeria and Niger.Rite · Finding a match
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreBadchenבּדחן (badkhn)
The Ashkenazi Jewish wedding entertainer and master of ceremonies who guides the couple through ritual stages with song Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreYibbumייבום
A Jewish rite where a brother marries his childless deceased brother's widow to continue the family line.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreBride buying
The exchange of money or goods for a woman to become a wife.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇬 NigeriaYoruba traditional weddingIgbeyawo
The multi-day Yoruba marriage ceremony featuring traditional attire, family introductions, and the Eru Iyawo gift list.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇺 AustraliaWishing well
A decorated box where guests leave cash or small gifts for couples who already have a home.Gift custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇩🇪 GermanyKranzgeld
The obsolete German legal compensation paid to a woman if her fiancé broke the engagement after sex.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Yoruba traditional wedding: Fhadekhemmy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Marriage in Myanmar: Thant Zin Myint, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Yibbum: School of Rembrandt, Public domain, source
- Dower: Pvasiliadis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Azerbaijani wedding traditions: Azim Azimzadeh, Public domain, source
- Lobolo: Iwuala Lucy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bride price: Пимоненко Николай Корнилиевич, Public domain, source
- Dowry: Vassili Vladimirovich Pukiryov, Public domain, source
- Hausa traditional marriage: Bembety, CC0, source
- Marriage bond: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Wishing well: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Badchen: Unknown author, Public domain, source