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
🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea and 1 moreMarriage in KoreaKorean marriage (결혼)
A look at how Korean weddings blend ancient Confucian rites with modern legal practices.Rite · Finding a match
🇯🇵 JapanTamagushitamagushi (玉串)
A decorated sakaki branch offered to kami during Shinto wedding ceremonies and other rites.Rite · The ceremony
🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea and 3 moreBlessing ceremony
The large-scale marriage rite of the Unification Church where couples are matched and blessed by their leaders.Rite · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South Korea and 5 moreBlessing ceremony of the Unification ChurchHoly Marriage Blessing Ceremony (축복결혼식)
A large-scale marriage rededication or new union ceremony that engrafts couples into a sinless lineage.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShinto wedding神前結婚 (Shinzen kekkon)
A Shinto purification ritual featuring sake sharing and kimono attire held at a shrine or venue.Rite · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaJiaobeijiu交杯酒
The ancient Chinese rite of sharing wine from linked cups to seal a marriage.Rite · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaTraditional Chinese marriage婚姻 (hūnyīn)
A union between two families governed by Confucian rites and the exchange of gifts.Rite · Finding a match
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGhost marriage冥婚 (mínghūn)
A union arranged for deceased individuals to ensure harmony in the afterlife and care in this one.Rite · Finding a match
🇨🇳 Fuzhou, China and 2 moreOil-Paper Umbrella油紙傘
A protective canopy shielding the bride from harm and blessing the marriageBlessing · Procession and arrival
🇰🇷 South KoreaHahoe byeolsingut talnori하회별신굿탈놀이
A rare Korean masked dance-drama performed to appease the village deity Seonangsin in Hahoe.Rite · The weeks before
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTuanshan團扇 (tuánshàn)
A rigid silk fan held by the bride to hide her face before revealing it to the groom.Adornment · The ceremony
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Tuanshan: 猫猫的日记本, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tamagushi: Urashimataro, Public domain, source
- Traditional Chinese marriage: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Marriage in Korea: Jérôme Banal ( Eden2004 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Oil-Paper Umbrella: Richard, CC BY 2.0, source
- Blessing ceremony of the Unification Church: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Blessing ceremony: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hahoe byeolsingut talnori: Ian Sewell, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source