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Dowry and giftsIndia's dowry curse: Outlawed practice remains deeply entrenched - Reporters DressHBCU mascots get married during homecoming CustomsWhy Brides Are Refusing to Buy Traditional Wedding Dresses for $5,000 RitesGrooms redefine wedding wardrobes with comfort, tradition, and reusability in mind LawColumn: Va. conservatives should vote for marriage equality amendment Dowry and giftsDLSA Secretary calls for wider student awareness on Dowry Prohibition Act Mass weddingsWhy South Africans won't stop spending on celebrations 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 Dowry and giftsIndia's dowry curse: Outlawed practice remains deeply entrenched - Reporters DressHBCU mascots get married during homecoming CustomsWhy Brides Are Refusing to Buy Traditional Wedding Dresses for $5,000 RitesGrooms redefine wedding wardrobes with comfort, tradition, and reusability in mind LawColumn: Va. conservatives should vote for marriage equality amendment Dowry and giftsDLSA Secretary calls for wider student awareness on Dowry Prohibition Act Mass weddingsWhy South Africans won't stop spending on celebrations 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

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

🇮🇳 IndiaMadisarமடிசார் (Madisar) The nine-yard sari drape worn by Tamil Brahmin women during weddings and religious rites.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 IndiaShamianaশামিয়ানা (Bengali), شامیانہ (Urdu) A South Asian ceremonial tent with removable walls used for wedding feasts and outdoor gatherings.Setting · The wedding feast

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMandapaमण्डप (maṇḍapa) The pillared pavilion that serves as the stage for Hindu wedding rituals and temple gatherings.Setting · The ceremony

🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha) A symbolic Hindu wedding uniting the holy basil plant with a stone representing Vishnu.Rite · The weeks before 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreNikah halalaنکاح حلالہ A second marriage required for a woman to remarry her first husband after triple talaq.Vow · After the wedding

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToe ring A silver band worn on the second toe to mark a woman as married in India.Adornment · The ceremony

🇮🇳 Chandigarh, IndiaBhangra A vigorous Punjabi folk dance performed to the beat of a dhol drum during harvest celebrations.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇮🇳 Jodhpur, India and 1 moreAchkanअचकन (Hindi), اچکن (Urdu) A long, side-fastening jacket worn by grooms and men at formal Indian weddings.Attire · The ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaWanvun A Kashmiri choral singing style performed before weddings and religious ritesPerformance · The weeks before

🇮🇳 Bhuj, India and 1 moreBandhani A traditional Indian tie-dye method that creates intricate dot patterns by binding small sections of cloth before dyeingAttire · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 IndiaNishekam The Hindu rite of consummation on the first night after marriageRite · The ceremony

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLaavaanਲਾਵਾਂ ਫੇਰੇ (Lavan) The four sacred hymns sung during the Anand Karaj that guide a Sikh couple through spiritual stages of married life.Rite · The ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaSambandam The traditional matrilineal marriage alliance of Kerala's Nairs and Nambudiris.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇮🇳 IndiaShankha White conch shell bangles worn by Bengali Hindu married women as a symbol of their husband's well-being.Adornment · 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

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

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMaithil Vivahमैथिल विवाह The arranged Hindu marriage of Maithils in the Mithila region, guided by Vedic texts and local customs.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇵🇰 Hunza, PakistanMayoon A pre-wedding seclusion period in Pakistan where the bride stays away from her groom for up to two weeks.Betrothal · The weeks before 🇮🇳 IndiaOonjal A decorated swing where the Tamil bride and groom sit to receive family blessings.Blessing · The ceremony

🇮🇳 Kanchipuram, IndiaKanchipuram silk sari The heavy silk bridal garment woven in Kanchipuram with contrasting borders and gold zari.Attire · The ceremony 🇮🇳 Kochi, IndiaKasavuകസാവ് The white cotton and gold border attire worn by Malayalis for weddings and festivals.Attire · The weeks before 🇱🇰 Sri LankaBeena marriage A pre-Islamic Arabian custom where the husband moves to the wife's home and she keeps her own tent.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreSvayamvaraस्वयंवर (svayaṃvara) A ceremony where a bride selects her husband from assembled suitors or through a public contest.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 1 moreBaraat The groom's wedding procession through the streets to the bride's home or venue.Performance · Procession and arrival

🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ The turmeric ceremony that prepares the Bengali bride and groom for marriageRite · The weeks before

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian A pre-wedding cleansing ritual in Punjabi culture where turmeric paste is applied to the couple.Blessing · The weeks before

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

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

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAnand Karajਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ The Sikh wedding rite where the couple circles the Guru Granth Sahib to four hymns of union.Rite · Procession and arrival

🇮🇳 IndiaLagan Geetલગ્નગીત Traditional Gujarati wedding songs sung by family and professional performers during ceremonies.Performance · The ceremony 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreWatta sattaوٹّا سٹّا (Punjabi), شغار (Urdu) A reciprocal marriage arrangement where two families exchange sisters and brothers to bind their households together.Betrothal · Finding a match 🇮🇳 IndiaArabikalyanam A temporary marriage arrangement between Arabian men and women in Kerala that has been linked to exploitation.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreLehenga A long skirt worn as the base of a bridal outfit across the Indian subcontinent.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 IndiaGandharva marriageगान्धर्व विवाह (gāndharva vivāha) A consensual union between a man and a woman without rituals or family involvement.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇮🇳 IndiaVaramalaवरमाला (Varamālā) The exchange of flower garlands that marks mutual acceptance in a Hindu wedding.Rite · The ceremony 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChuraचूरा (Hindi) The red and white bangles that mark a bride's new status in Indian Hindu weddingsAttire · The weeks before

🇳🇵 Bhaktapur, NepalIhiईही (Nepal Bhasa) A pre-puberty rite where Newar girls in Nepal are symbolically married to a deity or fruit.Betrothal · The weeks before

🇱🇰 Sri LankaPoruwa ceremony The Sinhalese wedding ritual performed on a carved wooden platform with betel leaves and milk rice.Rite · The ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaTree marriage A symbolic proxy marriage between a person and a tree to bypass restrictions on remarriageBetrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreDowry A payment of wealth from the bride's family to the groom or his household at marriage.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal 🇦🇫 AfghanistanAhesta Beroآهسته برو The song played to welcome the bride and groom into the wedding hall in AfghanistanPerformance · Procession and arrival 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLeirum Pheeꯂꯩꯔꯨꯝ ꯐꯤ A traditional Meitei shawl given as a wedding gift from parents to daughtersAttire · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaSehraसेहरा (Hindi) A floral or beaded veil tied to the groom's turban before he departs for the wedding ceremony.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇳 Kanchipuram, India and 1 moreWedding sari The traditional draped garment worn by brides in South Asia for their marriage ceremony.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 IndiaGana A sacred red thread tied to wrists for protection during wedding rituals in parts of India.Adornment · The weeks before

🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaOsariyaඔසරිය The traditional sari style worn by Sinhalese women in Sri Lanka for weddings and formal events.Attire · The ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaHindi wedding songs Film and folk music that accompanies the stages of a North Indian Hindu wedding.Performance · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 IndiaKettu KalyanamTālikettukalyānam A mock marriage ritual in Kerala that marked a girl as ready for real unions by tying a sacred thread.Betrothal · The weeks before

Photo credits on this page

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

Tulasi Vivah: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
Gana: William J Sisti, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Osariya: Mr Anuradha Ratnaweera (අනුරාධ රත්නවීර මහතා), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Svayamvara: Nandalal Bose, Public domain, source
Gandharva marriage: Amitdighe, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mehndi: AKS.9955, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Laavaan: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
Varamala: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Toe ring: Wikiss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lagan Geet: Sevageet, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lehenga: Iwaqarhashmi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Shankha: Salil Kumar Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wedding sari: Tarquin Binary, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Sehra: SynthContibutor, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kanchipuram silk sari: McKay Savage, CC BY 2.0, source
Chaklong wedding: Chiring chandan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bandhani: RubyGoes, CC BY 2.0, source
Baraat: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pnglife/, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Gaye holud: Arr4, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Poruwa ceremony: A Derivative Work by MediaJet ,, CC BY 2.0, source
Alpana: Tripan123, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Dowry: Vassili Vladimirovich Pukiryov, Public domain, source
Ihi: Dirghaman Chitrakar, Public domain, source
Shamiana: Badri Seshadri, CC BY 2.0, source
Oppana: Shagil Kannur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bhangra: Jimmysekhon25, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Maithil Vivah: Sntshkumar750, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mayoon: katorisi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mandapa: Rajendran Ganesan, CC BY 2.0, source
Mayian: Rakzika, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

The weekly EveryShaadi

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