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.
🇪🇹 EthiopiaEskistaእስክስታ
The shoulder dance of the Amhara people that brings joy to Ethiopian weddingsPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 2 moreOwanbeÓwàńbẹ̀
The extravagant Yoruba celebration where music, fashion, and money spraying mark life's milestones.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇵🇸 Ramallah, Palestine and 4 moreDabkeدبكة
A Levantine line dance performed at weddings to celebrate union and community.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreHausa traditional marriage
The Islamic marriage rites of the Hausa people in Northern Nigeria and Niger.Rite · Finding a match
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanAzerbaijani wedding traditionsAzərbaycanın toy adətləri
The multi-step family rituals of Azerbaijani weddings, from matchmaking to the henna night.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
🇭🇺 HungaryVőfély
The Hungarian wedding host who guides the couple through rites, speeches, and traditions.Family role · Finding a match
🇳🇬 NigeriaYoruba traditional weddingIgbeyawo
The multi-day Yoruba marriage ceremony featuring traditional attire, family introductions, and the Eru Iyawo gift list.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreMoney dance
A reception ritual where guests give cash to the couple while dancing or showering them with notes.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇦🇺 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
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Dabke: Sarah Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yoruba traditional wedding: Fhadekhemmy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eskista: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Hanay, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hausa traditional marriage: Bembety, CC0, source
- Azerbaijani wedding traditions: Azim Azimzadeh, Public domain, source
- Wishing well: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Badchen: Unknown author, Public domain, source