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
🇳🇵 NepalSherpa marriage
The astrological matching and barley beer offering that binds a Sherpa couple.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇾🇪 YemenPolygamy in Yemen
A legal practice allowing Muslim men to marry up to four wives under specific conditions.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 IsraelGetגט
The Aramaic divorce document that frees a Jewish woman to remarryVow · After the wedding
🇿🇦 South AfricaUkungenwa
A South African custom where a widowed woman is inherited by her late husband's male relatives.Family role · After the wedding
🇬🇲 GambiaPolygamy in the Gambia
The legal recognition of men having multiple wives in West African society.Family role
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreLieberman clause
A ketubah provision for rabbinic arbitration to prevent a woman from being unable to remarry.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇭🇺 Budapest, HungaryRecognition of same-sex unions in Hungarybejegyzett élettársi kapcsolat
The legal framework for same-sex relationships in Hungary, ranging from informal cohabitation to registered partnershipsModern · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaMangala Dosha
A Hindu astrological belief that Mars in a birth chart affects marriage compatibility and outcomes.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 2 moreKarva Chauthकरकचतुर्थी (Karakachaturthī)
A Hindu festival where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for their husband's health and life.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇦🇫 Kabul, AfghanistanPolygamy in Afghanistan
The practice of Afghan men taking multiple wives under Islamic and civil law.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇳 GuineaPolygamy in Guinea
A polygynous marriage structure regulated by Guinean family law since 2019.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇲🇻 MaldivesPolygamy in the Maldives
The legal practice allowing men to marry multiple wives under strict financial conditions.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTongyangxi童養媳 (tóngyǎngxí); Hokkien: 媳婦仔 (sim-pū-á)
An adopted girl raised beside a son so a poor family could be sure he would have a wifeBetrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇷 Seoul, South KoreaRecognition of same-sex unions in South Korea
The ongoing legal and political struggle to recognize same-sex marriages and civil unions in South Korea.Modern
🇮🇳 Kinnaur, IndiaPolyandry in India
A practice where a woman has multiple husbands at the same time, found in specific Indian communities.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇰 Lahore, Pakistan and 1 morePolygamy in Pakistan
The legal allowance for Muslim men to have up to four wives under Pakistani law.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇿 Wellington, New ZealandCivil union in New Zealand
A legal partnership for same-sex and opposite-sex couples established by statute in New Zealand.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 Sasaula, IndiaSasaula Sabha Gachhiससौला सभा गाछी
A historic gathering spot where Maithil Brahmin families matchmake and record marriages.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇳🇿 New ZealandPolygamy in New Zealand
The legal prohibition of multiple spouses and the limited recognition of foreign polygamous unions.Vow
🇪🇸 SpainRoyal Pragmatic on MarriageReal Pragmática
A Spanish law requiring parental permission for marriage to enforce social class boundaries.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaSame-sex marriage in Venezuela
The ongoing legal and social effort to recognize same-sex marriages and civil partnerships in Venezuela.Modern
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaPolygamy in Sri Lanka
The historical and current legal status of multiple marriages under Kandyan and Muslim law.Vow
🇫🇲 MicronesiaRecognition of same-sex unions in Micronesia
The legal status of same-sex marriage and civil partnerships in the Federated States of Micronesia.Vow
🇻🇳 Hanoi, VietnamRecognition of same-sex unions in Vietnam
The legal status and public debate surrounding same-sex weddings in VietnamModern
🇪🇸 A Coruña, Spain and 2 moreFirst same-sex marriage in Spain
The 1901 union of two women in Galicia that preceded legal recognition by over a centuryModern · The ceremony
🇨🇦 CanadaCivil union in Quebec
A legal partnership in Quebec that grants same rights to opposite and same-sex couples as marriage.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 Honolulu, United StatesSame-sex marriage in Hawaii
The legalization of marriage for same-sex couples in the Hawaiian islands.Modern
🇫🇷 France and 4 moreMore danicodansk skik
A Medieval Scandinavian marriage custom allowing polygyny and secular unions outside church control.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 1 moreContubernium
A recognized union between slaves or a slave and a free person in ancient RomeBetrothal · After the wedding
🇮🇳 Saurath, India and 2 moreSaurath Sabha
The annual Maithil Brahmin gathering in Bihar for arranged marriages based on lineage records.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇰🇪 KenyaRecognition of same-sex unions in Kenya
The legal ban on gay marriage alongside traditional female-to-female unions that persist in some communities.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreGet of Cleves
A disputed 1766 Jewish divorce document that sparked international rabbinic debate over mental competence.Vow · After the wedding
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 2 moreKimeshekкимешек (Kazakh/Karakalpak), элечек (Kyrgyz)
The traditional white headgear worn by married women with children in Central AsiaAttire · After the wedding
🇱🇹 Vilnius, LithuaniaRecognition of same-sex unions in Lithuania
Legal recognition of same-sex civil partnerships and marriages through court rulings and legislative efforts.Modern
🇱🇻 Riga, LatviaCivil partnership in Latviacivilā partnerība
The legal framework for same-sex couples in Latvia that grants most marital rights without adoption or inheritance.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇰 DenmarkSame-sex marriage in the Faroe Islands
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that began in 2017 after years of parliamentary debate.Modern · The ceremony
🇱🇮 Vaduz, LiechtensteinSame-sex marriage in Liechtenstein
The civil union that grants equal marital rights to all couples in the Alpine principality.Modern · The ceremony
🇺🇸 United StatesSame-sex marriage in the Northern Mariana Islands
Legal recognition of same-sex unions in a U.S. territory that became a popular destination for international couples.Modern · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in Guernsey
The legal recognition of same-sex unions across the Bailiwick of Guernsey and its dependencies.Modern · The ceremony
🇳🇬 Kano, NigeriaPolygamy in Nigeria
A marital practice where men take multiple wives, legally recognized in twelve northern states under Sharia law.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇿 UzbekistanPolygamy in Uzbekistan
The practice of men taking multiple wives in a country where the law strictly forbids it.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 IsraelIsha katlanitאישה קטלנית
A Jewish legal concept regarding a widow who has lost two husbands and the risks associated with her remarrying.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇭 Phnom Penh, CambodiaSame-sex marriage in Cambodia
The legal status and local registry for same-sex couples in Cambodia.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇬 Uganda and 3 morePolygamy in Uganda
The legal practice of a man having multiple wives simultaneously in Uganda and neighboring nations.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇬 UgandaRecognition of same-sex unions in Uganda
The legal status of same-sex marriage and civil unions under Ugandan law.Modern
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSame-sex marriage in Indonesia
The legal status and social reality of same-sex unions under Indonesian law.Modern · The ceremony
🇧🇭 BahrainPolygamy in Bahrain
A legal marital arrangement where a man may have multiple wives, practiced by a minority of citizens.Modern
🇸🇷 SurinameRecognition of same-sex unions in Suriname
The legal status of same-sex marriage and civil partnerships in Suriname.Modern
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sherpa marriage: Dirk Pons, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Get: Moshe Rynecki (1881-1943), Public domain, source
- Recognition of same-sex unions in Hungary: Christo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Karva Chauth: Iamwiki001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tongyangxi: Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
- Recognition of same-sex unions in South Korea: Nerd271, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Polyandry in India: Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, source
- Civil union in New Zealand: Helen Robinson, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Recognition of same-sex unions in Vietnam: USAID Vietnam, Public domain, source
- First same-sex marriage in Spain: Jglamela, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Hawaii: Bob Bobster, CC BY 2.0, source
- More danico: Edward Burne-Jones, Public domain, source
- Contubernium: Mark Landon, CC BY 4.0, source
- Saurath Sabha: Saurath Sabha, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kimeshek: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kjfnjy/, CC BY 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in the Faroe Islands: Arne List, CC BY-SA 2.0, source