All wedding traditions

501 traditions so far, best known first. 460 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

🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreLa víbora de la mar A wedding game where the couple stands on chairs while guests form a snake to test their unity.Play · Reception, dance and gifts

🇺🇸 New York, United StatesSlave marriages in the United States The unions formed by enslaved African Americans before and after the abolition of slavery in the US.Rite · The ceremony

🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Mexico and 1 moreHuipilhuīpīlli The traditional tunic worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Central America for weddings and daily life.Attire · The weeks before 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreWedding registry A service that helps couples share their gift preferences with guests to avoid duplicates and unwanted items.Modern · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreMarriage proposal The moment one partner asks the other to marry them and marks the start of an engagement.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 United StatesStack cake A layered Appalachian dessert made of crisp molasses cakes and dried apple filling.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreJumping the broom A wedding ritual where a couple leaps over a broom to mark their unionRite · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreNude wedding A ceremony where the couple or guests participate without clothing.Modern · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United StatesWedding cake topper A small figurine placed on top of a wedding cake to represent the couple.Adornment · Reception, dance and gifts

🇺🇸 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

🇺🇸 New York, United States and 5 moreInterracial marriage A union between spouses of different races or racialized ethnicities, now legal in most nations.Modern

🇺🇸 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

🇺🇸 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

🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, United States and 1 moreCookie table A display of assorted homemade cookies served alongside the wedding cake at a reception.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇲🇽 Oaxaca, MexicoOaxacan wedding A multi-day Catholic celebration in Oaxaca featuring mole, mezcal, and communal dancing.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal 🇺🇸 Hawaii, United StatesCommon-law marriage in the United States A legal marriage formed without a licence or ceremony, in a few US jurisdictionsVow 🇺🇸 United StatesSelf-uniting marriage A wedding where the couple marries each other without a third-party officiant.Vow · The ceremony 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreMarriage à la façon du paysMariage à la façon du pays The common-law unions between European fur traders and Indigenous women that shaped North American history.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇺🇸 United StatesIndian Wedding Blessing A modern poem often recited at weddings in the United States, falsely attributed to Native American traditions.Blessing · The ceremony 🇨🇦 CanadaStag and doe A Canadian fundraiser where guests pay to help the couple cover wedding costs.Feast custom · Engagement and betrothal 🇺🇸 United StatesRehearsal dinner A pre-wedding meal held after the final practice to thank the wedding partyFeast custom · The weeks before

🇺🇸 United StatesNavajo wedding ceremony A Navajo marriage ritual centred on harmony, family union, and nature inside a Hogan.Rite · The eve 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreWedding vow renewal ceremony A service where a married couple repeats their marriage promises to reaffirm their commitment.Vow · After the wedding

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreEngagement ring A ring given to signify a formal agreement to future marriage.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 United StatesPre-Cana The Catholic Church course that helps engaged couples prepare for the sacrament of marriage.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

🇺🇸 United StatesGroom's cake A second dessert served at the wedding reception or rehearsal dinner to reflect the groom's tastes.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇺🇸 United StatesUnity candle A modern wedding ritual where a couple lights a central candle from two tapers to symbolize their union.Rite · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSaber Arch An arch of swords or sabers held over a couple as they exit their wedding ceremony.Rite · The ceremony

🇺🇸 Las Vegas, United StatesLas Vegas weddings Quick civil or religious ceremonies held in Las Vegas due to easy licensing and diverse venues.Setting · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 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

🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreLavender marriage A heterosexual union formed to hide the queer identity of one or both partners and protect a public career.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSealing (Mormonism) A temple ritual that binds couples and families together for eternity.Rite · The ceremony

🇨🇦 Toronto, CanadaSame-sex marriage in Canada The legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples across Canada since 2005.Modern

🇺🇸 Bogalusa, United StatesThe Coke Plant A restored 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant in Louisiana that now hosts weddings and events.Setting · The ceremony 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreMarriage commissioner A civil official appointed to solemnize weddings outside of religious or standard court settings.Vow · The ceremony 🇨🇦 CanadaCivil union in Quebec A legal partnership in Quebec that grants same rights to opposite and same-sex couples as marriage.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇺🇸 Honolulu, United StatesSame-sex marriage in Hawaii The legalization of marriage for same-sex couples in the Hawaiian islands.Modern 🇺🇸 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

Photo credits on this page

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

Slave marriages in the United States: An 1899 illustration of a broomstick wedding. Schomburg Center for Res, Public domain, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
Marriage proposal: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Stack cake: thebittenword.com, CC BY 2.0, source
Jumping the broom: credited only as "Hipstamatic shots, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Nude wedding: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, source
Bachelorette party: Michael Vincent Photography for Bride's Night Out, Inc., CC BY 3.0, source
Wedding cake topper: Andy Mabbett, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Hawaii: Bob Bobster, CC BY 2.0, source
Interracial marriage: Xavier Lejeune, CC BY 4.0, source
Bachelor party: Derek Springer, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Bridal shower: The McClouds, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Cookie table: Chris Winters, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Oaxacan wedding: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Lavender marriage: Katharine Cornell and the Playwrights' Company; Vandamm Studio, photog, Public domain, source
Sealing (Mormonism): NewNameNoah, CC BY 4.0, source
The Coke Plant: Ktkvtsh, CC0, source
Navajo wedding ceremony: Neeta Lind, CC BY 2.0, source
Engagement ring: Photo by Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Pre-Cana: Jebulon, CC0, source
Bridesmaid: Photographer not credited; relative or work for hire of relative., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Groom's cake: Derek Key, CC BY 2.0, source
Unity candle: Dvillasmil, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saber Arch: Rabe100, Public domain, source
Las Vegas weddings: Henrickson ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Same-sex marriage in Canada: Mm.Toronto, Public domain, source

All wedding traditions

Photo credits on this page

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