All wedding traditions

650 traditions so far, best known first. 440 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

🇨🇦 CanadaStag and doe A Canadian fundraiser where guests pay to help the couple cover wedding costs.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese pre-wedding customs三書六禮 (sàam syù luhk láih) The traditional betrothal rituals of the Book of Rites that prepare a Chinese marriage.Betrothal · Finding a match 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreQuaker wedding A silent ceremony where Friends witness each other's vows without clergy or rigid rituals.Rite · The weeks before

🇦🇿 AzerbaijanAzerbaijani wedding traditionsAzərbaycanın toy adətləri The multi-step family rituals of Azerbaijani weddings, from matchmaking to the henna night.Rite · Finding a match

🇹🇴 Tonga and 2 moreTaʻovala The woven pandanus mat worn around the waist for formal occasions and weddings in Tonga.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAltaআলতা (Bengali) A red dye applied to hands and feet as an auspicious adornment in South Asian weddings and festivals.Adornment · The weeks before

🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreHenna ceremonyليلة الحناء (Laylat al-Henna) The pre-wedding gathering where the bride and guests receive intricate henna body art for luck and protection.Adornment · The weeks before

🇳🇬 NigeriaLefe The presentation of gifts from the groom to the bride in Hausa weddings.Gift custom · The weeks before 🇮🇹 Sicily, ItalyFuitina A Sicilian elopement custom used to force family consent for marriage through presumed sexual intercourse.Betrothal · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding clothes Traditional garments worn by Indian couples and guests across multiple days of celebrationAttire · The weeks before

🇺🇸 Austin, United States and 5 moreBachelorette party A pre-wedding gathering for the bride-to-be and her female friends, known as a hen party in many Commonwealth nations.Performance · The weeks before 🇮🇱 IsraelKallahYarchei Kallah (Hebrew: ירחי כלה) A biannual gathering for Torah study and marriage law held by Babylonian Jewish scholars in Adar and Elul.Betrothal · The weeks before

🇺🇸 Las Vegas, United States and 5 moreBachelor party A final celebration for the groom before his wedding, with names and customs varying by region.Feast custom · The weeks before 🇸🇰 SlovakiaMamko Moja A Slovak Roma wedding song about a bride's longing for marriagePerformance · The weeks before 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLeirum Pheeꯂꯩꯔꯨꯝ ꯐꯤ A traditional Meitei shawl given as a wedding gift from parents to daughtersAttire · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBridal shower A pre-wedding gift-giving party hosted for the bride by her friends and family.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreAuspicious wedding dates The selection of lucky times for a ceremony based on astrology, numerology, and tradition.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇲🇦 Tangier, MoroccoNegafanggafa (Tamazight); ziyyāna (Arabic) The traditional Moroccan bridal dresser who manages the bride's appearance and wedding rituals.Attire · The weeks before 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreNikah mut'ahنكاح المتعة A private contract for a fixed-term marriage practiced in Twelver Shia Islam.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇲🇦 Morocco and 1 moreBerberisca dresskeswa-el-kbira (الكسوة الكبيرة) The gold-embroidered wedding gown of Moroccan Jews, rooted in Spanish royal style.Attire · The weeks before 🇺🇸 United StatesRehearsal dinner A pre-wedding meal held after the final practice to thank the wedding partyFeast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇷 Tehran, Iran and 1 moreIranian weddingمراسم عروسی در ایران A multi-stage ceremony rooted in Zoroastrianism and Islam that binds families through courtship, feasts, and sacred vowsRite · Finding a match

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreGroomsman A male attendant who supports the groom and assists guests at a wedding.Family role · Finding a match 🇭🇺 HungaryVőfély The Hungarian wedding host who guides the couple through rites, speeches, and traditions.Family role · Finding a match 🇲🇷 Mauritania and 5 moreLeblouhالبلوح The forced fattening of girls to improve their marriage prospects, a harmful practiceBetrothal · Finding a match

🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreAssyrian wedding Marriage ceremonies blending ancient Assyrian rites with modern cultural practices among the Assyrian people.Rite · Finding a match

🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian weddingТрадиційне українське весілля A multi-day sequence of folk rites, bread baking and church vows that marks the transition from maidenhood to married liRite · Finding a match 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreRèiteach A Scottish Gaelic betrothal ceremony where families negotiate marriage terms and celebrate with whisky.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇳🇵 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 🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreWedding music The songs and instruments that mark the arrival of the couple and set the mood for the celebration.Performance · The weeks before 🇮🇳 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 🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding A Zoroastrian marriage ceremony featuring hand-fastening, rice sprinkling, and shared meals.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 IndiaBrahmanippattu A devotional song and dance performed by Nambeesan women to bless a marriage with the grace of the Goddess.Performance · The weeks before

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMarriage bond A financial guarantee posted to prove a couple was legally free to marry before the ceremony took place.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreElopement A secret marriage conducted without parental approval or public notice to bypass objections or legal barriers.Modern · The weeks before

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 5 moreBride kidnapping The abduction of a woman or girl by a man who wishes to marry her, ranging from consensual elopement to violent coercionBetrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToporটোপর The fragile white conical crown worn by the Bengali Hindu groom for luck.Attire · The weeks before 🇳🇬 NigeriaFattening room A traditional Nigerian retreat where Efik women are secluded to learn skills and gain weight before marriage.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreDouble Happiness双喜 (shuāngxǐ) The red calligraphy symbol made of two joy characters that marks Chinese wedding celebrations.Adornment · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaMeitei weddingLuhongba (ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ) The traditional union of the Meitei people, marked by clan exogamy and specific courtship rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreArab weddingزفاف or فرح or عرس A series of family-centered rites and processions that mark marriage across the Arab world.Rite · Finding a match

🇻🇳 VietnamTraditional Vietnamese weddingLễ cưới truyền thống Việt Nam The multi-stage ceremony of betrothal, engagement and union that marks a marriage in Vietnam.Attire · Finding a match

🇿🇦 South AfricaUkuthwalwa A South African practice of abducting a woman for marriage, now largely illegal and contested.Betrothal · Finding a match 🇮🇳 IndiaTelugu Hindu weddingతెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక A multi-day Telugu Hindu marriage marked by seven vows around fire and family rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreEngagement party A gathering to announce a new engagement and introduce the two families before the wedding.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and salt A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAiburo Bhaatআইবুড়ো ভাত The final bachelor feast for the bride and groom before their Bengali weddingFeast custom · The weeks before

Photo credits on this page

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

Korovai: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Chinese pre-wedding customs: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, CC0, source
Azerbaijani wedding traditions: Azim Azimzadeh, Public domain, source
Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Henna ceremony: No author provided, CC0, source
Alta: Shounak Ray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Lefe: Useendk, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Indian wedding clothes: Lee Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Bachelorette party: Michael Vincent Photography for Bride's Night Out, Inc., CC BY 3.0, source
Bachelor party: Derek Springer, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Bridal shower: The McClouds, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Negafa: Amine.elbahij, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Iranian wedding: Flickr.com user "avlxyz", CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Groomsman: Jenny Mealing, CC BY 2.0, source
Assyrian wedding: Yucalyptus, CC0, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Ihi: Dirghaman Chitrakar, Public domain, source
Marriage bond: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Bride kidnapping: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Public domain, source
Topor: Sumit Paul-Choudhury, CC BY 2.0, source
Double Happiness: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Arab wedding: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
Ukuthwalwa: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Public domain, source
Engagement party: Melissa Gupta, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Aiburo Bhaat: Ranganm2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

All wedding traditions

Photo credits on this page

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