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Dowry and giftsNow Solar Panels given as dowry in Pakistan RitesFrom brides’ hands to a Starbucks cup: Meet Manii Basran, the mehendi artist who turned her art into a vi RitesJefferies Sees A Reason for Indian Hotels To Cheer Louder In The Upcoming Wedding Season LawSamuel Alito blames marriage equality for America’s ‘decisive’ turn ‘against religious liberty’LawSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says marriage equality turned US "against religious liberty"LawSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Calls Marriage Equality Ruling a Turn 'Against Religious Liberty'DressMiss Manners: Modern weddings are less about tradition, more about celebration Mass weddingsLaoag City’s ‘Alisto I Do’ seals decade-long promise for 42 couples IndustryIndia hotels see winter wedding boom LawPunjab Panel Approves Bill to Reform Christian Marriage Law Dowry and giftsNow Solar Panels given as dowry in Pakistan RitesFrom brides’ hands to a Starbucks cup: Meet Manii Basran, the mehendi artist who turned her art into a vi RitesJefferies Sees A Reason for Indian Hotels To Cheer Louder In The Upcoming Wedding Season LawSamuel Alito blames marriage equality for America’s ‘decisive’ turn ‘against religious liberty’LawSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says marriage equality turned US "against religious liberty"LawSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Calls Marriage Equality Ruling a Turn 'Against Religious Liberty'DressMiss Manners: Modern weddings are less about tradition, more about celebration Mass weddingsLaoag City’s ‘Alisto I Do’ seals decade-long promise for 42 couples IndustryIndia hotels see winter wedding boom LawPunjab Panel Approves Bill to Reform Christian Marriage Law

EveryShaadi

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.

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

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreWedding registry A service that helps couples share their gift preferences with guests to avoid duplicates and unwanted items.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyRecognition of same-sex unions in ItalyRiconoscimento delle unioni tra persone dello stesso sesso in Italia The legal framework that grants same-sex couples rights and protections in Italy.Modern

🇰🇷 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 🇩🇪 Hamburg, Germany and 1 morePosthumous marriage in Germany A legal rite that joined a living woman to a deceased soldier for state benefits.Vow · After the wedding 🇵🇹 Lisbon, PortugalSame-sex marriage in PortugalCasamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex in Portugal.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSame-sex marriage in Thailandสมรสเท่าเทียม (Somrot Thaothiam) The legal recognition of same-sex unions that took effect in January 2025.Modern · The ceremony 🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSame-sex marriage in Switzerland The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples following a national referendum.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreArranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent The family-led matchmaking process that shapes most marriages across South Asia.Betrothal · Finding a match 🇫🇮 FinlandSame-sex marriage in Finlandsukupuolineutraali avioliitto The legal recognition of same-sex unions that took effect in Finland on 1 March 2017.Modern · Engagement and betrothal 🇨🇳 ChinaNaked marriage裸婚 (luǒhūn) A wedding without a house, car, or ring, chosen by couples in China for love and financial necessity.Modern · The weeks before

🇫🇷 France and 5 moreProxy marriage A union where one or both partners are absent and represented by another person.Vow · The ceremony

🇧🇪 Kapellen, BelgiumSame-sex marriage in Belgiumhomohuwelijk / mariage homosexuel The legal union of two people of the same sex, available since June 2003.Modern · The ceremony

🇮🇸 IcelandSame-sex marriage in Icelandsamkynja hjónaband The legal union of two people regardless of gender, established in Iceland in 2010.Modern · The ceremony

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreHumanist wedding A non-religious marriage ceremony led by a trained humanist officiant, celebrated in many countries worldwide.Rite · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreNude wedding A ceremony where the couple or guests participate without clothing.Modern · The ceremony

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelSame-sex marriage in Israel Legal recognition for same-sex couples through foreign or online marriages due to the absence of civil marriage in IsraeModern · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreCollective wedding A single ceremony where many couples exchange vows and become married at once.Modern · The ceremony 🇺🇸 United StatesSelf-uniting marriage A wedding where the couple marries each other without a third-party officiant.Vow · The ceremony

🇺🇸 New York, United States and 5 moreInterracial marriage A union between spouses of different races or racialized ethnicities, now legal in most nations.Modern 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreInter-caste marriage Marriages between people from different castes in India and Nepal.Modern 🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreElopement A secret marriage conducted without parental approval or public notice to bypass objections or legal barriers.Modern · The weeks before

🇪🇸 Madrid, SpainSame-sex marriage in SpainMatrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo en España The national law that granted equal marriage rights to same-sex couples starting in 2005.Modern

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSame-sex marriage in ArgentinaMatrimonio igualitario The legal recognition of same-sex unions that made Argentina the first nation in Latin America to permit them.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇩🇪 Berlin, GermanySame-sex marriage in GermanyEhe für alle The legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Germany since 2017.Modern 🇸🇪 Stockholm, SwedenSame-sex marriage in SwedenSambolydning i Sverige The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Sweden since 2009.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaChild marriage in India A contested practice where minors marry, defined by law as unions involving a bride under 18.Modern · Engagement and betrothal 🇺🇾 Montevideo, UruguaySame-sex marriage in Uruguay The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples in Uruguay since 2013Modern · The ceremony

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreInterfaith marriage in Judaismשִׁדּוּג חַלּוּץ (Shidug Chalutz) / אינטרפייט מריאז' (Interafeyt Mariyaz') The union of a Jew and a non-Jew, viewed as void by traditional law but increasingly common in modern communities.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇹 Sicily, ItalyFuitina A Sicilian elopement custom used to force family consent for marriage through presumed sexual intercourse.Betrothal · The weeks before 🇫🇷 FranceCivil solidarity pactPacte civil de solidarité (PACS) A French civil union contract that offers legal rights to couples without the full status of marriage.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇹🇼 Taipei, TaiwanSame-sex marriage in Taiwan The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Taiwan, the first in Asia.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanSame-sex marriage in Japan同性結婚 (dōsei kekkon) The legal battle and local partnership systems for same-sex couples in JapanModern 🇲🇹 MaltaSame-sex marriage in MaltaŻwieġ bejn persuni tal-istess sess The legal recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Malta.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇪 Dublin, IrelandSame-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland The legal recognition of same-sex marriage following a national referendum in 2015Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇨🇦 Toronto, CanadaSame-sex marriage in Canada The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples across Canada since 2005.Modern

🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsSame-sex marriage in the Netherlandshuwelijk tussen personen van gelijk geslacht The first national law to allow two people of the same sex to wed.Modern · The ceremony

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Denmarkægteskab mellem personer af samme køn The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Denmark since 2012, following a pioneering partnership law from 1989.Modern · The ceremony

🇿🇦 Cape Town, South AfricaSame-sex marriage in South Africa The legal recognition of same-sex unions established by the Civil Union Act of 2006.Modern · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreLavender marriage A heterosexual union formed to hide the queer identity of one or both partners and protect a public career.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreInterfaith marriage A union between spouses of different faiths, navigating legal and religious boundaries across the world.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomSame-sex marriage in the United Kingdom The legal recognition of same-sex unions across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.Modern · The ceremony

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Brazil The nationwide legal recognition of same-sex unions following a 2013 judicial ruling.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands and 5 moreSame-sex marriage The legal union of two people of the same sex or gender, recognized in dozens of countries.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaSame-sex marriage in Australia The legal recognition of marriages between two people of the same gender in Australia.Modern · The ceremony 🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreAdelphopoiesis A historical Eastern Christian ceremony uniting two people of the same sex in a recognized spiritual bond.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇻🇳 Hanoi, VietnamRecognition of same-sex unions in Vietnam The legal status and public debate surrounding same-sex weddings in VietnamModern 🇫🇲 MicronesiaRecognition of same-sex unions in Micronesia The legal status of same-sex marriage and civil partnerships in the Federated States of Micronesia.Vow 🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaSame-sex marriage in Venezuela The ongoing legal and social effort to recognize same-sex marriages and civil partnerships in Venezuela.Modern

Photo credits on this page

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

Same-sex marriage in Germany: This image is a work by Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons user C.Suthorn, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Israel: דוד שי, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Thailand: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Recognition of same-sex unions in Italy: G.dallorto, Attribution, source
Same-sex marriage in Taiwan: Guy of taipei, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Recognition of same-sex unions in South Korea: Nerd271, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Judaism: Rembrandt, Public domain, source
Recognition of same-sex unions in Vietnam: USAID Vietnam, Public domain, source
Nude wedding: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, source
Same-sex marriage in Iceland: Stanko Gruden/STA/Predsednik Republike Slovenije, CC0, source
Same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom: blavoulondon - blavou.co, CC BY 2.0, source
Lavender marriage: Katharine Cornell and the Playwrights' Company; Vandamm Studio, photog, Public domain, source
Same-sex marriage in Denmark: PavelStotsko, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Japan: User:Jedi Friend, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Australia: Mikeybear, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Brazil: Fabio Pozzebom/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, source
Same-sex marriage: Stefano Bolognini, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Interracial marriage: Xavier Lejeune, CC BY 4.0, source
Collective wedding: Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Pará, Public domain, source
Arranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent: Hindustanilanguage, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Spain: FELGTB Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Trans y Bisexuales, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Black Day: by 아침꿀물 at Flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Humanist wedding: User:m5 , Hans Bernhard ( Schnobby ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Argentina: Víctor Buggé, CC BY 2.0, source
Proxy marriage: Alejandro Cicarelli, Public domain, source
Child marriage in India: Baijayant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Belgium: flamenc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands: Jeffpw, CC BY 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Canada: Mm.Toronto, Public domain, source
Same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland: Kaihsu Tai, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

The weekly EveryShaadi

Every week: one wedding tradition from somewhere new, the wedding days coming up around the world, and one idea explained.