All wedding traditions
650 traditions so far, best known first. 440 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
🇦🇫 AfghanistanAhesta Beroآهسته برو
The song played to welcome the bride and groom into the wedding hall in AfghanistanPerformance · Procession and arrival
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 1 moreLithuanian wedding songsvestuvinės dainos
The polyphonic songs and weeping rituals that mark a Lithuanian bride's transition to her new family.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWedding March (Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn's C major piece from 1842, used as a recessional at Western weddings.Performance · After the wedding
🇷🇸 Serbia and 2 moreKoloКоло
A South Slavic circle dance performed at weddings and social gatherings across the Balkans.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 IndiaLagan Geetલગ્નગીત
Traditional Gujarati wedding songs sung by family and professional performers during ceremonies.Performance · The ceremony
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanAzerbaijani wedding traditionsAzərbaycanın toy adətləri
The multi-step family rituals of Azerbaijani weddings, from matchmaking to the henna night.Rite · Finding a match
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreCountry dance
A social partner dance from England where couples follow a caller through repeated figures in long lines or squares.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAltaআলতা (Bengali)
A red dye applied to hands and feet as an auspicious adornment in South Asian weddings and festivals.Adornment · The weeks before
🇺🇸 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
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaBabulबाबुल
The Hindi term for father that marks the emotional farewell of a bride leaving her home.Performance · The eve
🇩🇪 GermanyGroßvatertanz
A traditional Saxon dance played at the end of wedding celebrations to mark the finale.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇲🇽 Oaxaca, MexicoOaxacan wedding
A multi-day Catholic celebration in Oaxaca featuring mole, mezcal, and communal dancing.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇰 SlovakiaMamko Moja
A Slovak Roma wedding song about a bride's longing for marriagePerformance · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreBridal ChorusTreulich geführt
The Wagner opera march played for the bride's entrance at Western weddings.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreBulgarian wedding musicсватбарска музика
Fast-paced instrumental music played at Bulgarian weddings that blends folk, Romani, and Turkish styles.Performance · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaHindi wedding songs
Film and folk music that accompanies the stages of a North Indian Hindu wedding.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇱 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
🇦🇲 Armenia and 1 moreKochariՔոչարի
A circle dance from the Armenian Highlands that marks weddings and community gatherings.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇵🇱 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
🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreAssyrian wedding
Marriage ceremonies blending ancient Assyrian rites with modern cultural practices among the Assyrian people.Rite · Finding a match
🇪🇬 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
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreEpithalamium
A poem or song written to celebrate a bride as she goes to her wedding chamber.Performance · The eve
🇮🇳 IndiaBrahmanippattu
A devotional song and dance performed by Nambeesan women to bless a marriage with the grace of the Goddess.Performance · The weeks before
🇧🇩 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
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMangala AshtakaMaṅgala Aṣṭaka
A Hindu blessing sung at Marathi weddings and recited in Sinhalese Buddhist ceremoniesBlessing · The ceremony
🇺🇦 Kolomyia, Ukraine and 2 moreKolomyikaколомийка
A fast Ukrainian folk dance with rhymed verses, celebrated at weddings in western Ukraine and Canada.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇩🇪 GermanyWedding Quodlibet
A lighthearted musical piece by J.S. Bach performed at weddings in early 18th-century Germany.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια (Greek), Нестинарство (Bulgarian)
A barefoot firewalking ritual performed by Orthodox Christian communities in Greece and Bulgaria.Rite · The weeks before
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 7 moreVechornytsiвечорниці
A Ukrainian courtship gathering where young people meet, dance and practice matchmaking rituals before the wedding seasoBetrothal · The weeks before
🇳🇴 NorwayEsbat
A monthly Wiccan gathering held around the moon phases for ritual and communityBlessing · The ceremony
🇰🇷 Jeju, South KoreaJeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut제주 칠머리당영등굿
A Jeju Island shaman ritual welcoming the goddess of the sea with horse-head posts and lanterns at the Korean New Year.Blessing · The weeks before
🇵🇭 Cebu, PhilippinesCourtship in the Philippines
A traditional Filipino courtship marked by serenade, service, and family involvement.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇩🇪 GermanyLandshut WeddingLandshuter Hochzeit
A four-year historical pageant in Bavaria re-enacting the 1475 royal marriage of George and Hedwig.Setting · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇦 UkraineMnohaya litaМногая літа
A Ukrainian song sung at weddings to wish the couple many years of life.Performance
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreHava Nagilaהָבָה נָגִילָה
A Jewish folk song sung and danced at weddings and celebrations to mark joyous occasionsPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇺🇬 UgandaOkeme
A lively Lango folk dance performed at weddings to bring the community together.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇬 UgandaNaleyo
A courtship dance of the Karamojong people where men and women jump facing each other to find partners.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLuddi
A circle dance of Punjab performed at weddings and celebrations by men and women.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreLoyal toast
A formal salute to the head of state given at official gatherings in Commonwealth realms and other nations.Vow · The wedding feast
🇲🇳 MongoliaBiyelgeeБиелгээ / Бий
A seated Mongolian dance that mimics herder life through upper-body movement and traditional instruments.Performance · The wedding feast
🇷🇸 Serbia and 3 moreLazariceлазарице (Serbian), лазаруване (Bulgarian)
A South Slavic procession of young unmarried women who bless homes before Palm SundayBlessing · The weeks before
🇧🇷 Salvador, BrazilPuxada de Rede
A Brazilian dance that reenacts the tragic retrieval of a fisherman's body from the sea.Performance · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreLaternelaufen
A lantern procession held by children in Germany and Austria on St. Martin's Day to celebrate sharing and light.Blessing · The weeks before
🇲🇽 Guadalajara, MexicoJarabe Tapatío
A courtship dance from Guadalajara that uses a hat and flirtatious steps to symbolize Mexican identity.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreKarsilamaskarşılama (Turkish), καρσιλαμάς (Greek)
A face-to-face folk dance in 9/8 time that marks the joy of wedding gatherings across the Aegean.Performance · The wedding feast
🇬🇷 Corfu, GreeceBotidesμπότηδες
The throwing of clay pots filled with water from balconies in Corfu on Holy Saturday to mark the Resurrection.Blessing · The ceremony
🇰🇷 Gwangju, South KoreaGeommu검무 (Geommu)
A graceful Korean sword dance performed with dual short swords and traditional musicPerformance
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 1 moreLithuanian wedding songsvestuvinės dainos
The polyphonic songs and weeping rituals that mark a Lithuanian bride's transition to her new family.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWedding March (Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn's C major piece from 1842, used as a recessional at Western weddings.Performance · After the wedding
🇷🇸 Serbia and 2 moreKoloКоло
A South Slavic circle dance performed at weddings and social gatherings across the Balkans.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 IndiaLagan Geetલગ્નગીત
Traditional Gujarati wedding songs sung by family and professional performers during ceremonies.Performance · The ceremony
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanAzerbaijani wedding traditionsAzərbaycanın toy adətləri
The multi-step family rituals of Azerbaijani weddings, from matchmaking to the henna night.Rite · Finding a match
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreCountry dance
A social partner dance from England where couples follow a caller through repeated figures in long lines or squares.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAltaআলতা (Bengali)
A red dye applied to hands and feet as an auspicious adornment in South Asian weddings and festivals.Adornment · The weeks before
🇺🇸 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
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaBabulबाबुल
The Hindi term for father that marks the emotional farewell of a bride leaving her home.Performance · The eve
🇩🇪 GermanyGroßvatertanz
A traditional Saxon dance played at the end of wedding celebrations to mark the finale.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇲🇽 Oaxaca, MexicoOaxacan wedding
A multi-day Catholic celebration in Oaxaca featuring mole, mezcal, and communal dancing.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇰 SlovakiaMamko Moja
A Slovak Roma wedding song about a bride's longing for marriagePerformance · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreBridal ChorusTreulich geführt
The Wagner opera march played for the bride's entrance at Western weddings.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreBulgarian wedding musicсватбарска музика
Fast-paced instrumental music played at Bulgarian weddings that blends folk, Romani, and Turkish styles.Performance · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaHindi wedding songs
Film and folk music that accompanies the stages of a North Indian Hindu wedding.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇱 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
🇦🇲 Armenia and 1 moreKochariՔոչարի
A circle dance from the Armenian Highlands that marks weddings and community gatherings.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇵🇱 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
🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreAssyrian wedding
Marriage ceremonies blending ancient Assyrian rites with modern cultural practices among the Assyrian people.Rite · Finding a match
🇪🇬 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
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreEpithalamium
A poem or song written to celebrate a bride as she goes to her wedding chamber.Performance · The eve
🇮🇳 IndiaBrahmanippattu
A devotional song and dance performed by Nambeesan women to bless a marriage with the grace of the Goddess.Performance · The weeks before
🇧🇩 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
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMangala AshtakaMaṅgala Aṣṭaka
A Hindu blessing sung at Marathi weddings and recited in Sinhalese Buddhist ceremoniesBlessing · The ceremony
🇺🇦 Kolomyia, Ukraine and 2 moreKolomyikaколомийка
A fast Ukrainian folk dance with rhymed verses, celebrated at weddings in western Ukraine and Canada.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇩🇪 GermanyWedding Quodlibet
A lighthearted musical piece by J.S. Bach performed at weddings in early 18th-century Germany.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια (Greek), Нестинарство (Bulgarian)
A barefoot firewalking ritual performed by Orthodox Christian communities in Greece and Bulgaria.Rite · The weeks before
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 7 moreVechornytsiвечорниці
A Ukrainian courtship gathering where young people meet, dance and practice matchmaking rituals before the wedding seasoBetrothal · The weeks before
🇳🇴 NorwayEsbat
A monthly Wiccan gathering held around the moon phases for ritual and communityBlessing · The ceremony
🇰🇷 Jeju, South KoreaJeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut제주 칠머리당영등굿
A Jeju Island shaman ritual welcoming the goddess of the sea with horse-head posts and lanterns at the Korean New Year.Blessing · The weeks before
🇵🇭 Cebu, PhilippinesCourtship in the Philippines
A traditional Filipino courtship marked by serenade, service, and family involvement.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇩🇪 GermanyLandshut WeddingLandshuter Hochzeit
A four-year historical pageant in Bavaria re-enacting the 1475 royal marriage of George and Hedwig.Setting · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇦 UkraineMnohaya litaМногая літа
A Ukrainian song sung at weddings to wish the couple many years of life.Performance
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreHava Nagilaהָבָה נָגִילָה
A Jewish folk song sung and danced at weddings and celebrations to mark joyous occasionsPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇺🇬 UgandaOkeme
A lively Lango folk dance performed at weddings to bring the community together.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇬 UgandaNaleyo
A courtship dance of the Karamojong people where men and women jump facing each other to find partners.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLuddi
A circle dance of Punjab performed at weddings and celebrations by men and women.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreLoyal toast
A formal salute to the head of state given at official gatherings in Commonwealth realms and other nations.Vow · The wedding feast
🇲🇳 MongoliaBiyelgeeБиелгээ / Бий
A seated Mongolian dance that mimics herder life through upper-body movement and traditional instruments.Performance · The wedding feast
🇷🇸 Serbia and 3 moreLazariceлазарице (Serbian), лазаруване (Bulgarian)
A South Slavic procession of young unmarried women who bless homes before Palm SundayBlessing · The weeks before
🇧🇷 Salvador, BrazilPuxada de Rede
A Brazilian dance that reenacts the tragic retrieval of a fisherman's body from the sea.Performance · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreLaternelaufen
A lantern procession held by children in Germany and Austria on St. Martin's Day to celebrate sharing and light.Blessing · The weeks before
🇲🇽 Guadalajara, MexicoJarabe Tapatío
A courtship dance from Guadalajara that uses a hat and flirtatious steps to symbolize Mexican identity.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreKarsilamaskarşılama (Turkish), καρσιλαμάς (Greek)
A face-to-face folk dance in 9/8 time that marks the joy of wedding gatherings across the Aegean.Performance · The wedding feast
🇬🇷 Corfu, GreeceBotidesμπότηδες
The throwing of clay pots filled with water from balconies in Corfu on Holy Saturday to mark the Resurrection.Blessing · The ceremony
🇰🇷 Gwangju, South KoreaGeommu검무 (Geommu)
A graceful Korean sword dance performed with dual short swords and traditional musicPerformance
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Mnohaya lita: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Courtship in the Philippines: Markytour777, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Landshut Wedding: Oktobersonne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lithuanian wedding songs: Gailė Paštukaitė, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Puxada de Rede: SebáNeto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kolo: Sasa.mazinjanin, Public domain, source
- Lagan Geet: Sevageet, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Azerbaijani wedding traditions: Azim Azimzadeh, Public domain, source
- Country dance: Engraving by William Hogarth, CC BY 4.0, source
- Alta: Shounak Ray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bachelorette party: Michael Vincent Photography for Bride's Night Out, Inc., CC BY 3.0, source
- Großvatertanz: traditional, Public domain, source
- Oaxacan wedding: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Okeme: Emma Oruk, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bridal Chorus: Pierre Petit, Public domain, source
- Loyal toast: Alaxander W. Galbraith, Public domain, source
- Biyelgee: J bayarmagnai, CC0, source
- Lazarice: Svetlina bov at Bulgarian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Wedding Quodlibet: Aschroet, CC0, source
- Kolomyika: Teodor Axentowicz, Public domain, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source
- Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut: by karendotcom127, CC BY 2.0, source
- Jarabe Tapatío: Salvador alc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Laternelaufen: Heinrich Hermanns, Public domain, source
- Karsilamas: Maximilian Dörrbecker ( Chumwa ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Botides: Gkaridis0, CC BY 4.0, source
- Geommu: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bulgarian wedding music: Allen Ruttenberg, CC BY 2.0, source
- Badchen: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kochari: Hayordi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Assyrian wedding: Yucalyptus, CC0, source
- Epithalamium: Lorenzo Lotto, Public domain, source
- Vechornytsi: Гейслер, Кристиан Готфрид Генрих, Public domain, source
- Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source