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
🇮🇶 Iraq and 1 moreInterdenominational marriage
A wedding between two people of different denominations within the same religion.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsSame-sex marriage in the Netherlandshuwelijk tussen personen van gelijk geslacht
The first national law to allow two people of the same sex to wed.Modern · The ceremony
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreMorganatic marriageEhe zur linken Hand
A union between people of unequal rank that bars the spouse and children from inheriting titles or throne rights.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇫🇷 France and 2 moreBonbonniere
A small decorative container holding sweets given as a wedding favor in several countries.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreInterfaith marriage
A union between spouses of different faiths, navigating legal and religious boundaries across the world.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 1 moreVaniونى (Urdu)
A forced child marriage used as compensation to settle tribal disputes in Pakistan.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 GermanyWedding Quodlibet
A lighthearted musical piece by J.S. Bach performed at weddings in early 18th-century Germany.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaDejhoor
A hexagonal ear ornament worn by Kashmiri Pandit women to mark their marriage.Adornment · The eve
🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandWedding of the Weddings
A Polish annual gathering for couples who chose alcohol-free wedding receptions.Feast custom · The ceremony
🇨🇳 Beijing, China and 4 moreHeqin和親 (Héqīn)
A historical Chinese policy of uniting imperial families with neighboring rulers to secure peace.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇦 Kolomyia, Ukraine and 2 moreKolomyikaколомийка
A fast Ukrainian folk dance with rhymed verses, celebrated at weddings in western Ukraine and Canada.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇦🇺 AustraliaWishing well
A decorated box where guests leave cash or small gifts for couples who already have a home.Gift custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇰🇪 Kenya and 1 moreAyie
The Luo bride price ceremony where the mother accepts payment and agrees to the marriage.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇸 Bogalusa, United StatesThe Coke Plant
A restored 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant in Louisiana that now hosts weddings and events.Setting · The ceremony
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreAcrostic ring
A jewelled band where gemstone initials spell a secret romantic word.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 ChinaPlace card
A small card that tells a wedding guest where to sit and who sits next to them.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreYajnaयज्ञ (Yajña)
A sacred fire ritual central to Hindu weddings and other rites of passageRite · The ceremony
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreAdelphopoiesis
A historical Eastern Christian ceremony uniting two people of the same sex in a recognized spiritual bond.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια (Greek), Нестинарство (Bulgarian)
A barefoot firewalking ritual performed by Orthodox Christian communities in Greece and Bulgaria.Rite · The weeks before
🇲🇦 Morocco and 5 moreMimounaמימונה (Hebrew), ميمونة (Arabic)
The Maghrebi Jewish feast held the day after Passover to welcome leavened bread and good fortune.Feast custom · After the wedding
🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi ArabiaSa'yeeالسعي
The seven trips between two hills in Mecca that complete the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.Rite · The ceremony
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 7 moreVechornytsiвечорниці
A Ukrainian courtship gathering where young people meet, dance and practice matchmaking rituals before the wedding seasoBetrothal · The weeks before
🇳🇴 NorwayEsbat
A monthly Wiccan gathering held around the moon phases for ritual and communityBlessing · The ceremony
🇮🇳 Madurai, IndiaGoluBommai kolu (Tamil), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), Gombe Habba (Kannada)
A tiered display of dolls and figurines arranged in South Indian homes during the Navaratri festival.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇰🇷 Jeju, South KoreaJeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut제주 칠머리당영등굿
A Jeju Island shaman ritual welcoming the goddess of the sea with horse-head posts and lanterns at the Korean New Year.Blessing · The weeks before
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreTuroń
A horned effigy that visits homes during Carnival to wish for fertility and collect gifts.Blessing · The weeks before
🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 1 moreBaad
A customary settlement where a girl or woman is handed over to an offended household to close a dispute.Gift custom
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan
A communal Javanese feast that brings neighbors together for peace and social unity.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇺🇸 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
🇩🇪 GermanyBeilager
A public ceremony in German-speaking lands where witnesses observed the couple entering the marriage bed to finalize theRite · The ceremony
🇻🇺 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
🇦🇩 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
🇸🇨 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
🇵🇱 Warsaw, PolandRecognition of same-sex unions in Poland
The legal process for acknowledging foreign same-sex marriages and civil unions within Polish law.Modern
🇨🇾 Nicosia, CyprusRecognition of same-sex unions in Cyprusπολιτική συμβίωση (Greek), sivil birliktelik (Turkish)
The legal framework for registered partnerships and the ongoing debate over marriage equality in Cyprus.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇮 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
🇫🇯 Suva, FijiRecognition of same-sex unions in Fiji
The legal status and social context of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Fiji.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
🇺🇸 United StatesCovenant marriage
A stricter legal marriage contract in three US states that limits divorce grounds and requires counseling.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇦 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
🇬🇷 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
🇷🇼 RwandaPolygamy in Rwanda
The traditional practice of men having multiple wives, now illegal but still found in rural areas.Gift custom · 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
🇿🇦 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
🇩🇪 GermanyLandshut WeddingLandshuter Hochzeit
A four-year historical pageant in Bavaria re-enacting the 1475 royal marriage of George and Hedwig.Setting · 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
🇳🇵 NepalSherpa marriage
The astrological matching and barley beer offering that binds a Sherpa couple.Betrothal · Finding a match
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
- Turoń: Museum: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków, CC0, 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
- Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- Yajna: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sa'yee: Aiman titi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mimouna: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Morganatic marriage: Sergei Lvovich Levitsky (1819 – 1898) and Rafail Sergeevich Levitsky (, Public domain, source
- Wedding Quodlibet: Aschroet, CC0, source
- Place card: Elizabeth Sullivan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Vechornytsi: Гейслер, Кристиан Готфрид Генрих, Public domain, source
- Wishing well: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ayie: SteveRwanda, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bonbonniere: TitineH, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Acrostic ring: Jlblackmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut: by karendotcom127, CC BY 2.0, source
- Dejhoor: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kolomyika: Teodor Axentowicz, Public domain, source
- Slametan: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Heqin: पाटलिपुत्र, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands: Jeffpw, CC BY 3.0, source
- Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source
- The Coke Plant: Ktkvtsh, CC0, source
- Golu: Ksiva21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source