Weddings around the World

All over this big beautiful planet of ours weddings are celebrated in a great variety of ways. There are many traditions, but most are centered around the idea of a new beginning and a new journey down the path of life together. Here is a look at cultural wedding traditions in many different countries.

Which tradition would you embrace?

Afghan Wedding

A song called the Ahesta Boro, which means walk slowly, is sung to signify the arrival of the happy couple.

Photo: lynseyaddario.com

Albanian Wedding

It’s a celebration lasting as long as seven days. Everything about the traditional Albanian wedding is of epic proportions.

Photo: library.umass.edu

Algerian Wedding

Celebrations start weeks before the wedding. They believe that the more money that is spent on the wedding, the more proud the family should be.

Photo: yotourist.com

Argentinian Wedding

The extravagance of an Argentinean wedding is reflected through elegant attire, tango and samba.

Photo: blog.davidwittig.com

Armenian Wedding

The abundance of guests at Armenian wedding is a must.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/armenianreporter/

Austrian Wedding

The whole village is invited and no one goes home before dark. The wedding director is the most important person of the wedding ceremony. He keeps the party live at all times.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/30839999@N06/

Azerbaijani Wedding

Being invited to a wedding in Azerbaijan usually means an invitation to an evening dinner party, not a ceremony where vows are exchanged.

Photo: argophilia.com

Bahraini Wedding

A traditional wedding in Bahrain is not about the happy couple, it is about the food and the gathering, a competition in which the family strives to accommodate the needs of guests, to feed and entertain them.

Photo: sanabisdailyphoto.blogspot.com

Bangladeshi Wedding

A Bangladeshi wedding is a three day affair and full of amusement.

culture-cultures.com

Belarus Wedding

A ceremonial towel plays an important part. Gifts are wrapped in a towel. Also, tying of members of the groom’s family to members of the bride’s family using towels – symbolizing the uniting of the two families.

Photo: connect.state.gov

Bhutanese Wedding

Bhutanese wedding includes a lot of religious rites performed by Buddhist monks and lamas. This represents the importance of the bond between a husband and wife.

Photo: prakass.files.wordpress.com

Bolivian Wedding

The happy couple’s heads are doused with confetti and flower petals after the wedding ceremony a merging of families and form the basis of the couple’s life together.

Photo: etiquette-guide.com

Brazilian Wedding

Let’s Samba

Photo: noveladventurers.blogspot.com

Bruneian Wedding

A traditional Brunei Malay wedding is not for the fainthearted and is big business.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/12112163@N00/

Bulgarian Wedding

Bulgarian wedding rituals are concerned with ensuring a successful and fertile marriage. The consummation of the marriage on the wedding day becomes an act of magic.

Photo: zikata.wordpress.com

Burkinabé Wedding

A bride gets plenty of gifts which are displayed in the front room of the house for every one to see. Throughout the wedding ceremony gifts are displayed in the bride’s home.

Photo: expatinterviews.com

Burmese Wedding

Burmese weddings are not just an announcement of marriage but also an announcement of the economic positions of the families.

Photo: travelpod.com

Burundian Wedding

Dozens of family members (usually women) wear extravagant dresses and head pieces made from the bride and groom’s selected wedding pattern.

Photo: brandonjcouch.blogspot.com

Cambodian Wedding

Traditional Cambodian wedding ceremony will take place continuously for three days and three nights.

Photo: worldisround.com

Cameroonian Wedding

Before the happy couple is pronounced husband and wife, the families must first discuss how much the bride is worth. Sounds familiar? No? Just remember Charlotte York (Sex and the City).

Photo: spaciousplanet.com

Canadian Wedding

There is youthfulness both in their treats and dances.

Photo: brides.prestonbailey.com

Chinese Wedding

A Chinese bride is presented to the groom’s family in a red wedding carriage.

Photo: asianbridewear.com

Colombian Wedding

The Serenata is a pre-wedding tradition in Colombia in which the groom surprises the bride with a serenade. This often happens after she has gone to sleep. Is this romantic or what?

Photo: thenational.ae

Congolese Wedding

Traditional clothes, merriment, dance – beautiful!

Photo: taylorwalters.blogspot.com

Costa Rican Wedding

Family is one of the most important elements of Costa Rican weddings.

Photo: celebrationscostarica.com

Croatian Wedding

The wedding procession is a magnificent moment. It’s a tradition which is still live in some smaller villages.

Photo: s331.photobucket.com/profile/djjaquanix

Czech Wedding

Bride’s friends sneak into her yard to plant a tree and decorate it with ribbons and painted eggshells. Legend says the bride will live as long as the tree.

Photo: lideazeme.cz

Djiboutian Wedding

According to the Djibouti culture of marriage, a man may take more than one wife, but should not exceed the limit of four.

Photo: dvidshub.net

Dutch Wedding

After the wedding, the newlyweds plant lilies of the valley around their house to symbolize the return of happiness and with each season their love would be renewed.

Photo: idealist-realist.blogspot.com

Ecuadorian Wedding

A celebratory wedding procession accompanies the big day.

Photo: travel.nationalgeographic.com

Egyptian Wedding

A traditional Egyptian Wedding can never be without a Zaffa, a parade of belly dancers and drummers surrounding the happy couple, singing happy songs.

Photo: 2chicevents.com

Emirati Wedding

The splendor of a traditional wedding in United Arab Emirates is hard to portray in mere words. Some say that it’s like being in the 80s film Mannequin.

Photo: romantic-weddingzone.blogspot.com

Eritrean Wedding

One of the most interesting things about the traditional wedding ceremony in Eritrea is the custom of an open door policy. Anyone who passes by is welcome to attend it. How cool is that?

Photo: findingdulcinea.com

Ethiopian Wedding

On reaching the bride’s home, the groom and his friends are met by the bride and her friends at the entrance beating drums. This is done to prevent the groom from accessing her home until he parts with the dowry.

Photo: english.sina.com

Fijian Wedding

On the beach, a Fijian wedding is pure heaven.

Photo: taveunipalmsfiji.blogspot.com

Filipino Wedding

The tinikling is one of the most popular of traditional Philippine dances.

Photo: ask.com/wiki/Nordic_countries

Swedish Wedding

Image below shows a wedding of a small minority group in Finland who are culturally Swedish.

French Wedding

In some French towns, the groom may meet the bride at her home on the day of the wedding and escort her to the chapel where the wedding is being held.

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

Gambian Wedding

The wedding in Gambia is simple yet joyful.

Photo: bbc.co.uk

Georgian Wedding

In Georgia there has existed the concept of the unification of two families every since ancient times. A bride was chosen depending on which family she belonged to.

Photo: ss09.wordpress.com

German Wedding

Log-sawing is the most interesting German wedding tradition. It’s done after the wedding ceremony and it’s supposed to show how the happy couple will manage to accomplish tough tasks in the future.

Photo: askelandphotography.com

Ghanaian Wedding

Gift giving is an important part of the wedding ceremony.

Photo: rossoscarknightphotography.net

Greek Wedding

The groom arrives first in church and waits for bride. She is usually late.

Photo: santorini-weddings.info

Haitian Wedding

There’s certainly no need for horse-drawn carriage – the bride knows how to ride the horse!

Photo: examiner.com

Hawaiian Wedding

Just perfect!

Photo: weddingthemes.net

Hungarian Wedding

The headdress of bride at traditional Hungarian wedding is quite special. It has strands of wheat woven in the hair. These strands are symbols of fertility.

Photo: bosztorpuszta.hu

Icelandic Wedding

A traditional Icelandic wedding is supposed to have two weeks of pre-wedding activities to be culminated in the wedding ceremony.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/audunn

Indian Wedding

A bride wears a traditional Indian red wedding dress.

Photo: jamesroneyphotography.com

Indonesian Wedding

In Indonesia, women dancers balance flickering candles on saucer plates in their arms, as they glide through the room to the rhythm of the music. This candle dance, or “Tari Lilin, is a symbol of how the happy couple can achieve their aspirations of married life together.

Photo: shekobagus.com

Irani Wedding

A scarf or shawl made out of silk or any other fine fabric is held over the bride and groom’s head by a few unmarried female relatives.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/marcmorte

Italian Wedding

Italian weddings are huge!

Photo: blog.trainwreckunion.com

Japanese Wedding

One of many interesting customs is the ritual of drinking nine cups of sake during the ceremony.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/paulsynnott

Jewish Wedding

No Jewish wedding is complete without the Hora, or chair dance.

Photo: blog.trainwreckunion.com

Korean Wedding

The custom of the bride wearing hanbok and groom wearing gwanbok dates back two millenniums.

Photo: stephensandersonphotography.com

Kosovar Wedding

The bride has her face painted to prevent bad luck during the ceremony.

Photo: culturepotion.blogspot.com

Kyrgyz Wedding

For the wedding ceremony the traditional yurt has been set up on the courtyard, in which bride’s aunts prepared her for the wedding. They unbraided her forty braids, which are traditionally worn by unmarried Kyrgyz girls, and braided her hair into two braids.

Photo: pocketcultures.com

Lebanese Wedding

A Lebanese wedding isn’t a Lebanese wedding if there’s no zaffeh. Zaffeh is accompanying the groom as he leaves his parents’ house to meet with the bride in a wedding ceremony.

Photo: lebanonpage.com

Lithuanian Wedding

In ancient Lithuania, a colorful sashes were symbolic gifts, especially at weddings.

Photo: audraerkens.blogspot.com

Libyan Wedding

A wedding is a time to show off wealth. It’s part of the culture to have huge, lavish wedding ceremonies.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/mansour-ly/

Macedonian Wedding

From the hand-twisted red fringe all the way to the tiny embroidered crosses on the chemise, traditional Macedonian wedding attire brims with symbolism and hope for the future.

Photo: iaeste.org.mk

Malaysian Wedding

A traditional Malaysian wedding is a formal event whose main focus is more on guests than on the bride and groom.

Photo: trekearth.com

Malian Wedding

In some parts of Mali, bride is not supposed to look happy out of respect to her family. To do so would mean she is happy to leave her family.

Photo: mymalianadventure.blogspot.com

Maltese Wedding

In a traditional Maltese wedding the bridal party walks in procession beneath an ornate canopy, from the home of the bride’s family to the parish church, with singers trailing behind serenading the happy couple.

Photo: universitylanguageschool.com

Moroccan Wedding

A traditional Moroccan bride wears an elaborate kaftan (front-buttoned overdress, usually reaching to the ankles, with long sleeves) and heavy jewelry.

Photo: Marios Savva

Mexican Wedding

One of the most interesting customs is the traditional Mexican wedding dance where the groom and bride dance together, and then “tie the knot.”

Photo: butterfunk.com

Mongolian Wedding

Bride wears a traditional red wedding gown.

Photo: 1luckybride.com

Namibian Wedding

Bright colors are a must at Namibian weddings.

Photo: gg.tigweb.org

Nepali Wedding

One of the important events in a traditional Nepali wedding is that the groom puts a pinch of red-colored powder on the bride’s forehead. This symbolizes that they are now married.

Photo: indianweddingsite.com

New Zealand Wedding (Maori)

A traditional Maori wedding ceremony is conducted by the tribal elder who stands as the tribe leader, who will in turn bless the couple speaking the native Maori tongue.

Photo: maoriwedding.co.nz

Nigerian Wedding

That’s certainly a colorful wedding!

Photo: saflirista.com

Pakistani Wedding

A Pakistani bride’s hands are adorned with henna few days before her wedding. The henna is meant to bring good luck to the marriage.

Photo: karachidigest.com

Palestinian Wedding

Traditional Palestinian brides wear beautiful embroidered wedding dresses.

Photo: jihanabdalla.com

Panamanian Wedding

They sure love to dance!

Photo: beckyhillweddings.com

Peruvian Wedding

They sure love to drink beer!

Photo: fromheretouncertainty.com

Polish Wedding

Weddings are perceived by many Polish families as the perfect occasion, to impress their neighbors.

Photo: polishwedding.blogspot.com

Qatari Wedding

Men do a sword dance, or razeef, and sing songs which talk about the tribes they come from and about national glory. Don’t worry, swards are blunt.

Photo: qatarskeptic.blogspot.com

Russian Wedding

A Russian wedding is a lavish, two-day event.

Photo: etnosvadba.ru

Rwandese Wedding

Coke anyone?

Photo: un.org

Samoan Wedding

Samoan brides make their traditional wedding dresses using tapa cloth, which they obtain from the barks of mulberries. Don’t they look lovely?

Photo: 21weddingdestinations.blogspot.com

Saudi Arabian Wedding

Men from both the bride’s and the groom’s family meet to celebrate. The groom greets the male members of the bride’s family with kisses. According to Islamic law, men and women celebrate separately.

Photo: romantic-weddingzone.blogspot.com

Scottish Wedding

Male guests wear traditional Highland outfits of kilts, jackets, and hose.

Photo: scottishweddingconsultants.litu.com

Senegalese Wedding

A traditional Senegalese wedding is three days long.

Photo: thirdgoal.org

Serbian Wedding

The flame from the candles symbolize God’s presence within the union.

Photo: svetplus.com

Sierra Leonean Wedding

It’s unusual for a Sierra Leonean hire a wedding planner or a caterer for they know their guests will play an important role in their big day.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/hullmanmatt

Slovakian Wedding

The wedding horse carriage procession usually includes musicians.

Photo: istnews.com

Slovenian Wedding

Tying the knot in spectacular surroundings is not unusual for Slovenians, as Slovenia is full of beautiful mountains.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/visbeek

Somali Wedding

The most important part of the wedding is the Gaaf. During the Gaff night, family members and friends reunite to recite poems and sing all night long.

Photo: biyokulule.com

Sudanese Wedding

The bride-to-be does a series of erotic dances for the groom, changing into several outfits in just one evening.

Photo: monaandchristinainkhartoum.blogspot.com

Syrian Wedding

Groom’s friends perform a sword dance.

Photo: christiansofiraq.com

Tajik Wedding

Traditionally, weddings in Tajikistan last for several days, with hundreds of guests.

Photo: digitalhen.co.uk

Tanzanian Wedding

Someone once said that more planning goes into these ceremonies than anything else in this country.

Photo: nerdynomad.com

Thai Wedding

As the water is being poured, the guest offers their blessings and/or words of wisdom.

Photo: ppisland.com

Tibetan Wedding

People wearing red hats are distinguished local people. Their main task is to escort the bride to the groom’s house.

Photo: amnh.org

Togolese Wedding

One of the traditions here is that all of the bride and groom’s close friends buy the same fabric and get outfits made out of it.

Photo: rachelintogo.blogspot.com

Tunisian Wedding

A common saying in Tunisia is, “A wedding without noise is no wedding at all!”

Photo: flickr.com/photos/womeos

Turkish Wedding

Red, purple and gold – a dazzling sight which evokes all the splendor of 1001 nights.

Photo: kardelendance.com

Turkmen Wedding

Ouch, that dress is heavy!

Photo: ru.bestpicturesof.com

Ugandan Wedding

When one first attends a traditional Ugandan wedding, they are most probably amazed by how huge and fussy the ceremony is.

Photo: hrbrief.org

Ukrainian Wedding

The happy couple releases a pair of white doves to represent their union and love.

Photo: travelwestukraine.net

Uzbek Wedding

The sheets, hats, and clothes are all hand-embroidered with most beautiful delicate flowers.

Photo: wanita.mitrasites.com

Vietnamese Wedding

Due to the spiritual nature of the wedding and marriage, the date and time of the big is decided in advance by a Buddhist monk, Spiritual leader, or fortune teller.

Photo: viettours365.com

Yemeni Wedding

Men perform a traditional Baraa dance during a mass wedding ceremony for over 3000 happy couples. What’s out boys, those things are sharp!

Photo: framework.latimes.com

Zambian Wedding

The highlight of any Zambian wedding ceremony is the wedding dance performed by the bridal party.

Photo: zambianmadness.blogspot.com

9 thoughts on “Weddings around the World”

  1. Information about the mexican wedding.
    The picture shows a traditional dance, in which a female dancer gives a long ‘chal’ (kind of a scarf) to his male partner. They put it on the floor and they dance up to it, until they do a knot on the scarf. The song is the well known “La Bamba”, a ‘son jarocho’, typical music from Veracruz, in Mexico.
    A few traditions Mexican weddings are this:
    -When a woman gets married, their family put a star-shaped floral ornament on the principal door of their house. When a man gets married, they put a horseshoe-shaped one. That symbolizes the good fortune for the marriage.
    -The groom must be waiting for his bride at the church. Her father will handle her to him. Sometimes, the grandfather or the uncle does it
    -In the ceremony, their closest family or friends put a ‘lazo’, kind of a rope that can be made of beads, fabric, etc. This symbolizes the bound between them. He gives her too 13 little coins, “arras”, that represents the material wellness they want to have on his marriage. They algo turn a candle on, in representation of the Light of God that would guide this life from now on.
    -At the end of ceremony, family and friends toss rice to the newlyweds. It’s a tradition and they believe is for fertility and home wellness.
    -On the reception, the bride and their maids of honor walk amount the female guests and they give them money for the honey moon. The bride keeps the money in a high heel shoe shaped container. The groom also receive money from male guests, but they stick the billets on his shirt with safety pins
    -The newlyweds dances “La víbora de la mar”, in which Bride and groom are placed on chairs, one in front of the other. They take each other’s hands, forming an arc, so people can pass between them.
    -Back in time, traditional food on weddings were ‘mole’, chicken and rice and ‘barbacoa’ (nothing on American barbecue, by the way)

  2. Hello,
    About the irani wedding ..
    If you go to our weddings its like you’ve gone to a fashion show , even the guests look great and all dolled up.
    Interesting pics and info about the other weddings though.

  3. The Palestinian weddings always have a traditional Dabke dance performed by males (typically). Also, the bride does a candle dance. The traditional dress worn is called a “thobe” pronounced like “robe” but with “th”. I know it must be hard to know all these things without actually experiencing the culture itself. Therefore, I think you did a fabulous job! Love this 🙂

  4. Great collection, appreciated for your extra ordinary work. Keep continue to cover all the countrys as well as caltures.

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