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
🇧🇩 BangladeshPolygamy in Bangladesh
The practice of men taking multiple wives, regulated by different laws for Muslims and Hindus.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇦 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
🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, United StatesLatter Day Saint polygamy in the late-19th century
The practice of plural marriage among Latter-day Saints that drew intense government scrutiny and led to its abandonmentVow · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 GermanyKranzgeld
The obsolete German legal compensation paid to a woman if her fiancé broke the engagement after sex.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇱 NetherlandsSame-sex marriage in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten
The legal right for same-sex couples to marry in the Caribbean constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.Modern · The ceremony
🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesSame-sex marriage in tribal nations
Legal recognition of same-sex unions within the sovereign jurisdictions of Native American tribes in the United States.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇫🇷 Montpellier, FranceSame-sex marriage in Francemariage pour tous
The legal recognition of marriage for couples regardless of gender, established in France in 2013.Modern · The ceremony
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreCousin marriage
A union between people who share a grandparent or recent ancestor, practiced in many regions and communities.Vow · Finding a match
🇺🇸 Chicago, United StatesSame-sex marriage in Illinois
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the US state since June 2014.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesSame-sex marriage in the District of Columbia
The legal union of two people regardless of gender in Washington, D.C., established in 2010.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 morePrenuptial agreement
A written contract signed before marriage to define property rights and financial outcomes.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreUrfi marriageزواج عرفي
A customary union upheld by community tradition instead of state registration.Modern · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreInter-caste marriage
A union between people of different castes, often contested in South Asia.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇦 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
🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, United StatesLatter Day Saint polygamy in the late-19th century
The practice of plural marriage among Latter-day Saints that drew intense government scrutiny and led to its abandonmentVow · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 GermanyKranzgeld
The obsolete German legal compensation paid to a woman if her fiancé broke the engagement after sex.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇱 NetherlandsSame-sex marriage in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten
The legal right for same-sex couples to marry in the Caribbean constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.Modern · The ceremony
🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesSame-sex marriage in tribal nations
Legal recognition of same-sex unions within the sovereign jurisdictions of Native American tribes in the United States.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇫🇷 Montpellier, FranceSame-sex marriage in Francemariage pour tous
The legal recognition of marriage for couples regardless of gender, established in France in 2013.Modern · The ceremony
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreCousin marriage
A union between people who share a grandparent or recent ancestor, practiced in many regions and communities.Vow · Finding a match
🇺🇸 Chicago, United StatesSame-sex marriage in Illinois
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the US state since June 2014.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesSame-sex marriage in the District of Columbia
The legal union of two people regardless of gender in Washington, D.C., established in 2010.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 morePrenuptial agreement
A written contract signed before marriage to define property rights and financial outcomes.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreUrfi marriageزواج عرفي
A customary union upheld by community tradition instead of state registration.Modern · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreInter-caste marriage
A union between people of different castes, often contested in South Asia.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Cousin marriage: 綾絲, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mormon polygamy: Charles Weitfle, Public domain, source
- Same-sex marriage in France: Claude TRUONG-NGOC, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia: Nate Hill, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Prenuptial agreement: Jan Josef Horemans the Younger, Public domain, source
- Loyal toast: Alaxander W. Galbraith, Public domain, source
- Same-sex marriage in Illinois: nathanmac87, CC BY 2.0, source