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
🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaSame-sex marriage in Venezuela
The ongoing legal and social effort to recognize same-sex marriages and civil partnerships in Venezuela.Modern
🇪🇸 SpainRoyal Pragmatic on MarriageReal Pragmática
A Spanish law requiring parental permission for marriage to enforce social class boundaries.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇿 New ZealandPolygamy in New Zealand
The legal prohibition of multiple spouses and the limited recognition of foreign polygamous unions.Vow
🇮🇳 Sasaula, IndiaSasaula Sabha Gachhiससौला सभा गाछी
A historic gathering spot where Maithil Brahmin families matchmake and record marriages.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇳🇿 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
🇵🇰 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
🇮🇳 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
🇰🇷 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
🇨🇳 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
🇲🇻 MaldivesPolygamy in the Maldives
The legal practice allowing men to marry multiple wives under strict financial conditions.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇳 GuineaPolygamy in Guinea
A polygynous marriage structure regulated by Guinean family law since 2019.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇱 Warsaw, PolandRecognition of same-sex unions in Poland
The legal process for acknowledging foreign same-sex marriages and civil unions within Polish law.Modern
🇦🇫 Kabul, AfghanistanPolygamy in Afghanistan
The practice of Afghan men taking multiple wives under Islamic and civil law.Family role · 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
🇮🇳 IndiaMangala Dosha
A Hindu astrological belief that Mars in a birth chart affects marriage compatibility and outcomes.Betrothal · 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
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreLieberman clause
A ketubah provision for rabbinic arbitration to prevent a woman from being unable to remarry.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇲 GambiaPolygamy in the Gambia
The legal recognition of men having multiple wives in West African society.Family role
🇿🇦 South AfricaUkungenwa
A South African custom where a widowed woman is inherited by her late husband's male relatives.Family role · After the wedding
🇮🇱 IsraelGetגט
The Aramaic divorce document that frees a Jewish woman to remarryVow · After the wedding
🇹🇭 ThailandPolygamy in Thailand
The historical practice of multiple wives in Thailand and its legal status today.Gift custom
🇾🇪 YemenPolygamy in Yemen
A legal practice allowing Muslim men to marry up to four wives under specific conditions.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇵 NepalSherpa marriage
The astrological matching and barley beer offering that binds a Sherpa couple.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇧🇩 BangladeshPolygamy in Bangladesh
The practice of men taking multiple wives, regulated by different laws for Muslims and Hindus.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇷 Iran and 3 moreXwedodahxwidōdāh
A Zoroastrian rite of close-kin marriage rooted in ancient cosmology and royal tradition.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 GermanyLandshut WeddingLandshuter Hochzeit
A four-year historical pageant in Bavaria re-enacting the 1475 royal marriage of George and Hedwig.Setting · Engagement and betrothal
🇿🇦 South AfricaCivil partnership in South Africa
A legal union in South Africa that grants same-sex and opposite-sex couples the same rights as marriage.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇩 IndonesiaPolygamy in Indonesia
The legal and customary practice of men having multiple wives across Indonesian faiths and communities.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇼 RwandaPolygamy in Rwanda
The traditional practice of men having multiple wives, now illegal but still found in rural areas.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇨 SeychellesSame-sex marriage recognition in Seychelles
The legal standing of two men or two women who wish to wed in the Indian Ocean republic.Modern
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceSame-sex marriage in GreeceΟμοφυλοφιλικός γάμος (Omofylofilikos gamos)
The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex, effective since February 2024.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇩 AndorraSame-sex marriage in AndorraMatrimoni entre persones del mateix sexe
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Pyrenean principality since 2023.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇻🇺 Port Vila, VanuatuRecognition of same-sex unions in Vanuatu
The legal status and history of marriage equality for same-sex couples in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.Modern
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 1 moreMayu-Dama
The Kachin kinship system that defines who can marry whom through wife-giver and wife-taker rolesBetrothal · Finding a match
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreCommon-law marriage
A union recognized by law because a couple lives together as spouses, without a formal ceremony or license.Vow · After the wedding
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreHope chest
A wooden chest where a bride collects linens and gifts before her wedding.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Legal same-sex weddings for British military personnel on the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus.Modern · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in the Isle of Man
The legalisation of same-sex marriage on the Isle of Man, following civil partnerships since 2011.Vow · The ceremony
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 5 moreCousin marriage in the Middle East
A traditional practice of marrying close relatives, especially paternal cousins, across Middle Eastern communities.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇺🇸 United StatesCovenant marriage
A stricter legal marriage contract in three US states that limits divorce grounds and requires counseling.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇿 Prague, CzechiaRegistered partnership in the Czech Republicregistrované partnerství
The legal framework for same-sex couples in Czechia that grants marriage-like rights without the title of marriage.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇪🇪 Tallinn, EstoniaSame-sex marriage in Estonia
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Baltic state, following registered partnerships.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇿🇦 South AfricaProhibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1949
An apartheid-era law in South Africa that banned marriages between white and non-white citizens.Modern
🇪🇨 EcuadorSame-sex civil unions in EcuadorUnión de hecho
Legal recognition of same-sex partnerships granted by the 2008 Constitution and implemented in 2014.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇦 UkraineMnohaya litaМногая літа
A Ukrainian song sung at weddings to wish the couple many years of life.Performance
🇫🇯 Suva, FijiRecognition of same-sex unions in Fiji
The legal status and social context of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Fiji.Modern
🇩🇪 GermanyBeilager
A public ceremony in German-speaking lands where witnesses observed the couple entering the marriage bed to finalize theRite · The ceremony
🇸🇮 SloveniaSame-sex marriage in SloveniaZakonska zveza istospolnih partnerjev
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that evolved from limited partnerships to full marriage rights.Modern · 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
🇵🇰 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
🇮🇳 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
🇰🇷 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
🇨🇳 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
🇲🇻 MaldivesPolygamy in the Maldives
The legal practice allowing men to marry multiple wives under strict financial conditions.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇳 GuineaPolygamy in Guinea
A polygynous marriage structure regulated by Guinean family law since 2019.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇱 Warsaw, PolandRecognition of same-sex unions in Poland
The legal process for acknowledging foreign same-sex marriages and civil unions within Polish law.Modern
🇦🇫 Kabul, AfghanistanPolygamy in Afghanistan
The practice of Afghan men taking multiple wives under Islamic and civil law.Family role · 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
🇮🇳 IndiaMangala Dosha
A Hindu astrological belief that Mars in a birth chart affects marriage compatibility and outcomes.Betrothal · 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
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreLieberman clause
A ketubah provision for rabbinic arbitration to prevent a woman from being unable to remarry.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇲 GambiaPolygamy in the Gambia
The legal recognition of men having multiple wives in West African society.Family role
🇿🇦 South AfricaUkungenwa
A South African custom where a widowed woman is inherited by her late husband's male relatives.Family role · After the wedding
🇮🇱 IsraelGetגט
The Aramaic divorce document that frees a Jewish woman to remarryVow · After the wedding
🇹🇭 ThailandPolygamy in Thailand
The historical practice of multiple wives in Thailand and its legal status today.Gift custom
🇾🇪 YemenPolygamy in Yemen
A legal practice allowing Muslim men to marry up to four wives under specific conditions.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇵 NepalSherpa marriage
The astrological matching and barley beer offering that binds a Sherpa couple.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇧🇩 BangladeshPolygamy in Bangladesh
The practice of men taking multiple wives, regulated by different laws for Muslims and Hindus.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇷 Iran and 3 moreXwedodahxwidōdāh
A Zoroastrian rite of close-kin marriage rooted in ancient cosmology and royal tradition.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 GermanyLandshut WeddingLandshuter Hochzeit
A four-year historical pageant in Bavaria re-enacting the 1475 royal marriage of George and Hedwig.Setting · Engagement and betrothal
🇿🇦 South AfricaCivil partnership in South Africa
A legal union in South Africa that grants same-sex and opposite-sex couples the same rights as marriage.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇩 IndonesiaPolygamy in Indonesia
The legal and customary practice of men having multiple wives across Indonesian faiths and communities.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇼 RwandaPolygamy in Rwanda
The traditional practice of men having multiple wives, now illegal but still found in rural areas.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇨 SeychellesSame-sex marriage recognition in Seychelles
The legal standing of two men or two women who wish to wed in the Indian Ocean republic.Modern
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceSame-sex marriage in GreeceΟμοφυλοφιλικός γάμος (Omofylofilikos gamos)
The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex, effective since February 2024.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇦🇩 AndorraSame-sex marriage in AndorraMatrimoni entre persones del mateix sexe
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Pyrenean principality since 2023.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇻🇺 Port Vila, VanuatuRecognition of same-sex unions in Vanuatu
The legal status and history of marriage equality for same-sex couples in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.Modern
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 1 moreMayu-Dama
The Kachin kinship system that defines who can marry whom through wife-giver and wife-taker rolesBetrothal · Finding a match
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreCommon-law marriage
A union recognized by law because a couple lives together as spouses, without a formal ceremony or license.Vow · After the wedding
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreHope chest
A wooden chest where a bride collects linens and gifts before her wedding.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Legal same-sex weddings for British military personnel on the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus.Modern · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomSame-sex marriage in the Isle of Man
The legalisation of same-sex marriage on the Isle of Man, following civil partnerships since 2011.Vow · The ceremony
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 5 moreCousin marriage in the Middle East
A traditional practice of marrying close relatives, especially paternal cousins, across Middle Eastern communities.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇺🇸 United StatesCovenant marriage
A stricter legal marriage contract in three US states that limits divorce grounds and requires counseling.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇿 Prague, CzechiaRegistered partnership in the Czech Republicregistrované partnerství
The legal framework for same-sex couples in Czechia that grants marriage-like rights without the title of marriage.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇪🇪 Tallinn, EstoniaSame-sex marriage in Estonia
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Baltic state, following registered partnerships.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇿🇦 South AfricaProhibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1949
An apartheid-era law in South Africa that banned marriages between white and non-white citizens.Modern
🇪🇨 EcuadorSame-sex civil unions in EcuadorUnión de hecho
Legal recognition of same-sex partnerships granted by the 2008 Constitution and implemented in 2014.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇦 UkraineMnohaya litaМногая літа
A Ukrainian song sung at weddings to wish the couple many years of life.Performance
🇫🇯 Suva, FijiRecognition of same-sex unions in Fiji
The legal status and social context of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Fiji.Modern
🇩🇪 GermanyBeilager
A public ceremony in German-speaking lands where witnesses observed the couple entering the marriage bed to finalize theRite · The ceremony
🇸🇮 SloveniaSame-sex marriage in SloveniaZakonska zveza istospolnih partnerjev
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that evolved from limited partnerships to full marriage rights.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Recognition of same-sex unions in Poland: Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mnohaya lita: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Same-sex marriage in Greece: Mzimu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Landshut Wedding: Oktobersonne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Xwedodah: Dageoa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- 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
- Hope chest: Poul Friis Nybo, Public domain, source
- Registered partnership in the Czech Republic: Martin Strachoň, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Estonia: Märt Põder, CC BY-SA 4.0, source