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

🇺🇸 United StatesIndian Wedding Blessing A modern poem often recited at weddings in the United States, falsely attributed to Native American traditions.Blessing · The ceremony 🇨🇳 ChinaNaked marriage裸婚 (luǒhūn) A wedding without a house, car, or ring, chosen by couples in China for love and financial necessity.Modern · 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

🇹🇼 Taipei, TaiwanSame-sex marriage in Taiwan The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Taiwan, the first in Asia.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaBride buying in India The forced purchase of women from impoverished regions for arranged marriages in Northern India.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreKetubahכְּתוּבָּה The Jewish marriage contract that outlines the groom's financial and personal obligations to the bride.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇬🇧 United KingdomKnobstick wedding A forced marriage arranged by local authorities to shift the cost of a child onto the presumed father.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreKorovaiкоровай (Ukrainian), каравай (Russian), кравай (Bulgarian) A large round braided bread shared at weddings to bless the couple and unite the community.Feast custom · The ceremony

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreYibbumייבום A Jewish rite where a brother marries his childless deceased brother's widow to continue the family line.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomFleet marriage Secret weddings performed in London's Fleet Prison before the law required church ceremonies.Vow · The ceremony

🇰🇬 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

🇨🇳 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 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before

🇸🇿 EswatiniUmtsimbauntsimba A multi-day Swazi wedding procession where the bride joins her husband's family through ritualised stages.Rite · Finding a match 🇵🇹 Lisbon, PortugalSame-sex marriage in PortugalCasamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo The legal recognition of marriage between two people of the same sex in Portugal.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreChuppahחֻפָּה (ḥuppā) The four-poster canopy that marks the Jewish wedding ceremony and symbolizes the couple's new home.Setting · The ceremony

🇺🇦 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 StatesRehearsal dinner A pre-wedding meal held after the final practice to thank the wedding partyFeast custom · The weeks before

🇹🇱 Dili, Timor-Leste and 1 moreTimorese wedding traditionsBarlake The gift exchange and family alliance rituals practiced on the island of Timor.Gift custom · 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

🇿🇦 South AfricaUkuthwalwa A South African practice of abducting a woman for marriage, now largely illegal and contested.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreDower A share of the husband's property set aside to secure a woman's life if he dies first.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇹 ItalyFede ring A clasped-hands ring that symbolizes betrothal and faithfulness in marriage traditions.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 Goa, IndiaHaldi Kumkum A gathering of married women in southern India who exchange turmeric and vermilion to celebrate their status.Blessing 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreWatta sattaوٹّا سٹّا / شغار A reciprocal marriage arrangement where two families swap brides to bind households and manage domestic tensions.Betrothal · 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

🇮🇳 IndiaVaramalaवरमाला (Varamālā) The exchange of flower garlands that marks mutual acceptance in a Hindu wedding.Rite · The ceremony 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreBride buying The exchange of money or goods for a woman to become a wife.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

🇮🇳 IndiaLagan Geetલગ્નગીત Traditional Gujarati wedding songs sung by family and professional performers during ceremonies.Performance · The ceremony 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGhost marriage冥婚 (mínghūn) A union arranged for deceased individuals to ensure harmony in the afterlife and care in this one.Rite · Finding a match

🇮🇳 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 🇸🇸 South Sudan and 1 moreGhost marriage in South Sudan A union where a living brother stands in for a deceased groom to secure lineage and wealth.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇬🇧 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

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreInterfaith marriage in Judaismשִׁדּוּג חַלּוּץ (Shidug Chalutz) / אינטרפייט מריאז' (Interafeyt Mariyaz') The union of a Jew and a non-Jew, viewed as void by traditional law but increasingly common in modern communities.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇦🇿 AzerbaijanAzerbaijani wedding traditionsAzərbaycanın toy adətləri The multi-step family rituals of Azerbaijani weddings, from matchmaking to the henna night.Rite · Finding a match 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCivil ceremony A secular marriage rite performed by a government official at a licensed venue.Vow · The ceremony

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

🇮🇳 IndiaVadhu PraveshaBou Boron The ritual welcoming the bride into her husband's home with blessings and symbolic acts.Blessing · After the wedding

🇩🇪 GermanyGroßvatertanz A traditional Saxon dance played at the end of wedding celebrations to mark the finale.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSheva Brachotשבע ברכות The seven blessings recited during Jewish weddings and the subsequent festive week.Blessing · The ceremony

🇺🇸 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

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBridesmaid A female attendant who supports the bride during a Western wedding ceremony.Family role · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 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

🇮🇳 IndiaAyyavazhi wedding The sacred rite of Ayyavazhi that treats marriage as a spiritual sacrament and family life as the highest austerity.Rite · Procession and arrival

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreMarriage coin charm夫妇和合花钱 (fū fù hé hé huā qián) Numismatic amulets from East Asia that carry wedding blessings and fertility symbols.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 moreOchipokочіпок The embroidered cap that covers a Ukrainian bride's hair to mark her new status as a married womanAttire · The ceremony

Photo credits on this page

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

Same-sex marriage in Taiwan: Guy of taipei, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bride buying in India: Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ketubah: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Laavaan: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
Yibbum: School of Rembrandt, Public domain, source
Fleet marriage: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Dower: Pvasiliadis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fede ring: Anonymous ( Europe ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
Varamala: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lagan Geet: Sevageet, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lehenga: Iwaqarhashmi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Judaism: Rembrandt, Public domain, source
Azerbaijani wedding traditions: Azim Azimzadeh, Public domain, source
Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Sheva Brachot: מנחם יוסיפון, CC0, source
Henna ceremony: No author provided, CC0, source
Alta: Shounak Ray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Ayyavazhi wedding: Vaikunda Raja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bread and salt: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Marriage coin charm: Scott Semans, CC BY 3.0, source
Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
Bridal shower: The McClouds, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Bridesmaid: Photographer not credited; relative or work for hire of relative., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Großvatertanz: traditional, Public domain, source
Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
Ukuthwalwa: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Public domain, source
Timorese wedding traditions: ColinTrainor, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Chuppah: me, Public domain, source
Umtsimba: Cat7624, CC0, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Chinese pre-wedding customs: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, CC0, source
Bride kidnapping: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Public domain, source
Aiburo Bhaat: Ranganm2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

All wedding traditions

Photo credits on this page

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