All wedding traditions

643 traditions so far, best known first. 438 more are on the list to be written. Filter by region, kind and stage of the wedding.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreZaffaزفّة A lively musical procession that marks the start of wedding festivities in Arab culture.Performance · The weeks before

🇰🇷 South KoreaBlack DayBlack Day (Korean: 블랙데이) A South Korean day for singles to gather and eat black bean noodles after missing Valentine's and White Day gifts.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaOppanaഒപ്പന A circle dance and song tradition of the Mappila Muslim community in Kerala weddingsPerformance · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAlpanaআলপনা (Bengali) Rice flour floor paintings that bless homes and mark wedding celebrations in Bengal.Adornment · The weeks before

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKenduri A communal feast and prayer gathering held by Javanese and Malay communities to mark life events.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha) A symbolic Hindu wedding uniting the holy basil plant with a stone representing Vishnu.Rite · The weeks before 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreDia dos Namorados Brazil's June 12 celebration of romance, held on the eve of Saint Anthony's feast day.Betrothal · The weeks before 🇬🇧 United KingdomGift registry A public wish list managed by retailers to coordinate wedding gifts and prevent duplicates.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaChaklong wedding The traditional Ahom marriage system involving rice powder mandalas and ancestral rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBridal shower A pre-wedding gift-giving party hosted for the bride by her friends and family.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali Muslim weddingবাঙালি মুসলিম বিয়ে A multi-day Bengali Muslim marriage blending Islamic rites with local folk traditions.Rite · The weeks before

🇸🇿 EswatiniUmtsimbauntsimba A multi-day Swazi wedding procession where the bride joins her husband's family through ritualised stages.Rite · Finding a match 🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match

🇮🇳 IndiaMehndi The henna body art applied to brides and guests before a South Asian wedding ceremony.Adornment · The weeks before

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before 🇨🇦 CanadaStag and doe A Canadian fundraiser where guests pay to help the couple cover wedding costs.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 Austin, United States and 5 moreBachelorette party A pre-wedding gathering for the bride-to-be and her female friends, known as a hen party in many Commonwealth nations.Performance · The weeks before 🇮🇱 IsraelKallahYarchei Kallah (Hebrew: ירחי כלה) A biannual gathering for Torah study and marriage law held by Babylonian Jewish scholars in Adar and Elul.Betrothal · The weeks before

🇺🇸 Las Vegas, United States and 5 moreBachelor party A final celebration for the groom before his wedding, with names and customs varying by region.Feast custom · The weeks before 🇭🇺 HungaryVőfély The Hungarian wedding host who guides the couple through rites, speeches, and traditions.Family role · Finding a match

🇺🇦 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 1 moreRèiteach A Scottish Gaelic betrothal ceremony where families negotiate marriage terms and celebrate with whisky.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreWedding music The songs and instruments that mark the arrival of the couple and set the mood for the celebration.Performance · The weeks before 🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding A Zoroastrian marriage ceremony featuring hand-fastening, rice sprinkling, and shared meals.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreDouble Happiness双喜 (shuāngxǐ) The red calligraphy symbol made of two joy characters that marks Chinese wedding celebrations.Adornment · The weeks before

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreArab weddingزفاف or فرح or عرس A series of family-centered rites and processions that mark marriage across the Arab world.Rite · Finding a match

🇻🇳 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 🇮🇳 IndiaTelugu Hindu weddingతెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక A multi-day Telugu Hindu marriage marked by seven vows around fire and family rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreEngagement party A gathering to announce a new engagement and introduce the two families before the wedding.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and salt A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAiburo Bhaatআইবুড়ো ভাত The final bachelor feast for the bride and groom before their Bengali weddingFeast custom · The weeks before

🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreHausa traditional marriage The Islamic marriage rites of the Hausa people in Northern Nigeria and Niger.Rite · Finding a match 🇺🇸 United StatesRehearsal dinner A pre-wedding meal held after the final practice to thank the wedding partyFeast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇷 Tehran, Iran and 1 moreIranian weddingمراسم عروسی در ایران A multi-stage ceremony rooted in Zoroastrianism and Islam that binds families through courtship, feasts, and sacred vowsRite · Finding a match

🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreKhata A ceremonial scarf offered to show respect and welcome at weddings and other gatherings in Tibet and Nepal.Adornment · Reception, dance and gifts

🇰🇪 Kenya and 1 moreAyie The Luo bride price ceremony where the mother accepts payment and agrees to the marriage.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 7 moreVechornytsiвечорниці A Ukrainian courtship gathering where young people meet, dance and practice matchmaking rituals before the wedding seasoBetrothal · The weeks before

🇮🇳 Madurai, IndiaGoluBommai kolu (Tamil), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), Gombe Habba (Kannada) A tiered display of dolls and figurines arranged in South Indian homes during the Navaratri festival.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreTuroń A horned effigy that visits homes during Carnival to wish for fertility and collect gifts.Blessing · The weeks before

🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan A communal Javanese feast that brings neighbors together for peace and social unity.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇰🇭 Cambodia and 3 moreTugging rituals and games A rope-pulling game played across Southeast and East Asia to mark the farming season and build community bonds.Play · The weeks before

🇩🇿 Algeria and 3 moreSebibaسبيبة (Arabic), ⵙⴱⵉⴱⴰ (Tifinagh) The Tuareg New Year dance and festival held in Djanet to mark the end of a chaotic transition period.Performance · The weeks before

🇬🇧 United KingdomWassailing Singing and drinking to bless trees or homes during the Christmas seasonFeast custom · The weeks before

🇭🇺 Hungary and 2 moreEaster sprinkling in Hungaryhúsvéti locsolás An Easter Monday custom where boys sprinkle water or perfume on girls and receive painted eggs in return.Betrothal · The weeks before 🇷🇴 Romania and 3 moreMărțișor The red and white string charm worn in early spring to welcome the new year.Adornment · The weeks before

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates and 1 moreNadbaالندبة A ceremonial battle cry and dance performed by the Shihuh tribe of the Musandam Peninsula.Performance · The weeks before

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreRadonitsaРа́доница (Russian), Прóводи (Ukrainian), Ра́даўніца (Belarusian) The Orthodox memorial day that lifts fasting restrictions and officially opens the wedding season.Feast custom · The weeks before

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Hausa traditional marriage: Bembety, CC0, source
Umtsimba: Cat7624, CC0, source
Korovai: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Mehndi: AKS.9955, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Wassailing: Joss Smithson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Sebiba: Abderrahmane boudjenane, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tugging rituals and games: Steve46814 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bachelorette party: Michael Vincent Photography for Bride's Night Out, Inc., CC BY 3.0, source
Bachelor party: Derek Springer, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Nadba: Saeeddon1, CC0, source
Bridal shower: The McClouds, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Turoń: Museum: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków, CC0, source
Slametan: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Easter sprinkling in Hungary: Matyófolk, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chaklong wedding: Chiring chandan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Radonitsa: Perohanych, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Iranian wedding: Flickr.com user "avlxyz", CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Oppana: Shagil Kannur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tulasi Vivah: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
Alpana: Tripan123, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Golu: Ksiva21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Vechornytsi: Гейслер, Кристиан Готфрид Генрих, Public domain, source
Ayie: SteveRwanda, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Double Happiness: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
Khata: Wiki-uk, CC BY 3.0, source
Arab wedding: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
Engagement party: Melissa Gupta, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Black Day: by 아침꿀물 at Flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Aiburo Bhaat: Ranganm2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

All wedding traditions

Photo credits on this page

The weekly EveryShaadi