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.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇨🇱 Santiago, Chile and 3 moreCueca
A courtship dance from Chile and the Andes where couples trace circles with handkerchiefs to reenact a rooster and hen.Performance · The eve
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreDia dos Namorados
Brazil's June 12 celebration of romance, held on the eve of Saint Anthony's feast day.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito
A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast
🇨🇺 Havana, Cuba and 5 moreConga line
A long processing line dance that links dancers in single file to a rhythmic drum beat.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇺🇾 Montevideo, UruguaySame-sex marriage in Uruguay
The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples in Uruguay since 2013Modern · The ceremony
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSame-sex marriage in ArgentinaMatrimonio igualitario
The legal recognition of same-sex unions that made Argentina the first nation in Latin America to permit them.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇪 Peru and 4 moreBride service
Labor provided by the groom to the bride's family as part of the marriage arrangement.Gift custom · Finding a match
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and 1 moreSame-sex marriage in Brazil
The nationwide legal recognition of same-sex unions following a 2013 judicial ruling.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
🇧🇴 Santa Cruz de la Sierra, BoliviaRecognition of same-sex unions in Bolivia
The legal recognition of civil unions and marriages for same-sex couples in Bolivia.Modern · 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
🇸🇷 SurinameRecognition of same-sex unions in Suriname
The legal status of same-sex marriage and civil partnerships in Suriname.Modern
🇨🇴 Bogotá, ColombiaSame-sex marriage in Colombia
The legal recognition of same-sex unions established by the Constitutional Court in 2016.Modern · The ceremony
🇪🇨 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
🇧🇿 Belize and 3 moreHunguhungu
A swaying circular dance by Garifuna women that blends African rhythms with community messages.Performance · The weeks before
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic and 2 moreBachata
A social couple dance from the Dominican Republic known for its eight-count step and hip movements.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇵🇪 Trujillo, PeruMarinera
A Peruvian partner dance using handkerchiefs to enact a stylized courtship between two people.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇧🇷 Recife, BrazilFrevo
A fast, acrobatic dance and musical style from Recife that turns Carnival street parades into a display of agility.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇭🇳 Honduras and 1 moreMatamuerte
A humorous Garifuna dance about finding a body on the beachPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇧🇷 Salvador, BrazilPuxada de Rede
A Brazilian dance that reenacts the tragic retrieval of a fisherman's body from the sea.Performance · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Puxada de Rede: SebáNeto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Frevo: Prefeitura de Olinda, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bachata: Salsauom, CC0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Colombia: Diego Cambiaso, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Brazil: Fabio Pozzebom/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, source
- Conga line: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Derek J. Hu, Public domain, source
- Marinera: Tomas Sobek, CC BY 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Argentina: Víctor Buggé, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cueca: Manuel Antonio Caro, Public domain, source