All wedding traditions
674 traditions so far, best known first. 108 more are on the list to be written. Filter by region, kind and stage of the wedding.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyWeddings in ancient Rome
The religious ceremonies and attire that marked a union in the city of Rome before the rise of Christianity.Rite · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceLoutrophorosλουτροφόρος
An ancient Greek vessel that carried water for a bride's bath or marked an unmarried death.Attire · The weeks before
🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreMantilla
A lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders by women in Spain and Latin AmericaAttire · 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
🇦🇹 Austria and 4 moreDirndl
The bodice, skirt and apron dress worn by brides in the German-speaking Alps.Attire · The ceremony
🇫🇷 FranceGarter toss
The groom removes the bride's garter and tosses it to unmarried men at the reception.Play · Reception, dance and gifts
🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 1 moreVyshyvanka DayДень вишиванки
The annual celebration where people wear embroidered shirts to show national unity and identitySetting
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWhite wedding
A formal Western ceremony marked by a white bridal gown and traditional Christian rituals.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWedding ring
A metal circle worn on the finger to show that a person is married.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCare cloth
A linen or silk cloth held over the heads of a bride and groom during a Christian wedding blessing.Attire · The ceremony
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 moreOchipokочіпок
The embroidered cap that covers a Ukrainian bride's hair to mark her new status as a married womanAttire · The ceremony
🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian weddingТрадиційне українське весілля
A multi-day sequence of folk rites, bread baking and church vows that marks the transition from maidenhood to married liRite · Finding a match
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions
Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreWedding dress
The ceremonial garment worn by the bride during her marriage rite.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBridal bouquet
The handheld flower arrangement carried by the bride during her wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇩🇪 Hanover, Germany and 5 moreBridal crownBrautkrone
A headdress worn by brides in Central and Northern Europe to symbolize purity and status.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomBoutonnière
A single flower or small arrangement pinned to the lapel of a groom's suit at a wedding.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreRing fingerdigitus annularis
The fourth digit of the hand where wedding and engagement rings are traditionally worn.Attire · The ceremony
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 moreEaster palmPolish: palma wielkanocna; Lithuanian: verba
A decorated willow or juniper bundle blessed on Palm Sunday to protect homes and crops.Blessing · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreLenten veilFastentuch
A large painted or embroidered canvas that covers the altar during Lent to create a period of visual penance.Rite · The weeks before
🇳🇱 NetherlandsPoffer
The elaborate white headdress worn by married women in the Netherlands to mark their status.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇴 Ieud, RomaniaNunta mortului
A symbolic Romanian rite that dresses an unmarried dead person as a bride or groom to complete their life cycle.Rite · The weeks before
🇺🇦 UkraineWax wedding head wreathвосковий вінок
A paraffin and paper bridal crown worn in parts of Ukraine until the late twentieth century.Attire · The ceremony
🇩🇪 GermanyBollenhut
A straw hat with woolen pompoms worn by women in specific Black Forest villages as part of their traditional dress.Attire · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United KingdomFull plaid
A long tartan mantle worn over the shoulder in Scottish Highland dress and military uniforms.Attire
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWhite tie
The highest level of formal Western evening attire for men and womenAttire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomDebutante dress
The strict white gown and feathered headdress worn by young women at their debutante cotillion.Attire · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bridal crown: Daderot, CC0, source
- Debutante dress: State Library of Queensland, Australia, No restrictions, source
- Loutrophoros: Picture taken by Marcus Cyron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- Poffer: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Wax wedding head wreath: Sofo, GFDL, source
- Full plaid: Greenmind at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Boutonnière: David Ring, CC0, source
- White tie: jonlo168, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Vyshyvanka Day: Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, Public domain, source
- Easter palm: Evaldas Liutkus, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ring finger: RAPMOODDE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bollenhut: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
- Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Care cloth: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
- Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nunta mortului: Iosif Berman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding dress: Statens historiska museer, CC BY 2.5, source
- Lenten veil: Plutowiki, CC0, source
- Dirndl: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
- Bridal bouquet: James Vick's Sons (Rochester, N.Y.); Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed, No restrictions, source
- Garter toss: MorningTea, CC BY-SA 4.0, source