Weddings
A wedding invitation is a compliment and a small puzzle. What should you wear, which gift is appropriate, how long will the celebration last, and what happens if you put a foot wrong at the table? These guest guides answer such questions for 25 countries. They are written for people who are about to attend a wedding, for colleagues of couples marrying abroad, and for anyone curious about how couples marry around the world.
Each guide covers what to wear, the gift, how long the day lasts, how to reply to the invitation, what happens at the ceremony and the party, and what makes a good guest, with a short list of dos and don’ts and answers to common questions. Read the guide for the couple’s country, then ask the couple or their family what applies to them.
That second step matters. Weddings are personal and no two are the same: families may have mixed backgrounds, couples may blend traditions or keep things simple, and customs shift between regions, faiths and generations. Treat each guide as a starting point rather than a rulebook. Ask before taking photographs during ceremonies, follow your hosts’ lead on dress, gifts and seating, and join in with curiosity rather than commentary. Where a tradition has religious meaning, take part as far as you feel comfortable and decline politely if you do not. Choose a country below to find its guide.
In Argentina the legally binding marriage is the civil one, registered at the Registro Civil, while a church or other religious ceremony is optional. In 2010 Argentina also became the first Latin American country to legalise same-sex marriage. Receptions tend to begin late in the evening and often continue into the early hours, with dancing at their heart.
Most Australian weddings are led by a civil celebrant rather than clergy, which gives couples wide freedom over the ceremony and setting, from gardens and vineyards to beaches and halls. Marriage has been open to same-sex couples since December 2017, and the country’s many communities, from Greek and Lebanese to Vietnamese and First Nations families, add customs of their own.
A Brazilian wedding can be civil, religious or both, and many couples choose a religious ceremony that also carries civil effect. Padrinhos and madrinhas, friends or relatives who stand beside the couple, are central to the day, and receptions often feature sweets such as brigadeiros. Regional and family customs vary widely across such a large country.
Canada’s weddings reflect a bilingual, multicultural country, so a ceremony may follow French, English, South Asian, Chinese, Filipino, Indigenous or other traditions. Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since 2005. In some regions friends and family also attend a pre-wedding fundraising party known as a stag and doe.
Chinese weddings separate registration from celebration: the legal step is registering the marriage at a civil affairs office, and the banquet follows on its own schedule. Red, the colour of good fortune, appears everywhere, a tea ceremony honours elders, and guests give money in red envelopes. Customs differ between cities and countryside and among regions and ethnic groups.
Couples in England can marry in a church, a register office or an approved venue, and the day typically includes a wedding breakfast, speeches and an evening party. Guests do well to check dress codes and gift lists with the couple, and to ask before throwing confetti, which many venues restrict.
In France only the civil ceremony at the town hall, the mairie, has legal force, and it is usually open to guests; a religious blessing may follow. Afterwards a vin d’honneur of drinks and canapés often precedes a long banquet, and the pièce montée, a tower of choux buns, is a classic celebration dessert.
German couples marry civilly at the Standesamt, with a church or other ceremony optional afterwards. The evening before, or earlier, a Polterabend invites friends and neighbours to smash porcelain for luck; glass is avoided. Receptions may include games, speeches and a wedding newspaper made by friends, and guests commonly give cash or pool money for a larger gift.
Ghanaian marriage often begins with the families, through an engagement or knocking ceremony in which the groom’s side formally asks for the bride’s hand and presents gifts. Customary marriage is legally recognised, and a church or registry wedding may follow. Kente and other cloth, drumming and dance feature, with details differing among Akan, Ga, Ewe, Dagomba and other communities.
Indian weddings vary enormously by region, religion and family: a Hindu ceremony may centre on the sacred fire and the seven steps, a Sikh wedding on the Anand Karaj in the gurdwara, a Muslim wedding on the nikah and a Christian wedding on a church service. Events such as the mehndi, the sangeet and the groom’s baraat procession can stretch over several days.
Indonesia’s many ethnic groups each have wedding customs of their own, from Javanese siraman bathing rituals to Minangkabau, Balinese and Batak ceremonies. For Muslim couples the akad nikah is the formal marriage contract, followed by a reception, the resepsi, often with large guest lists. Guests commonly give money in an envelope.
Japanese weddings may follow Shinto rites at a shrine, with the bride in a white kimono and the sharing of sake, or take the form of a Western-style chapel ceremony. The legal act is filing a notification at the local government office. Guests typically give money in an elegant envelope, goshūgi, and receive gifts to take home.
In Mexico the civil registry makes a marriage official, and many couples add a religious ceremony. Padrinos and madrinas, chosen sponsors, often take on parts of the day, and the rites may include the lazo, a cord or rosary placed around the couple, and the arras, thirteen coins. The reception is long and musical, with dancing at its heart.
New Zealand couples often marry outdoors, in gardens, on beaches or at vineyards, usually with a celebrant. Many include Māori elements, such as a karanga call of welcome, waiata or a pounamu gift, and same-sex marriage has been legal since 2013. Weddings tend to be relaxed in tone, but it is polite to follow the couple’s lead on cultural protocol.
Nigerian weddings often have two parts: a traditional ceremony, such as the Igbo igba nkwu with palm wine or a Yoruba engagement, and a church or mosque wedding or a court registration. Guests often wear aso ebi, matching fabric chosen by the families, and live music and dancing are central. Customs differ widely among Nigeria’s hundreds of ethnic groups.
Polish weddings usually have a church ceremony that also carries civil effect, followed by a reception that can run until dawn. Parents greet the couple at the door with bread and salt, and guests call Gorzko, gorzko! (bitter, bitter) until the couple kiss. Oczepiny, a late-night ritual with games and toasts, marks the bride’s transition into married life.
A Saudi wedding rests on an Islamic marriage contract and the groom’s mahr to the bride. Celebrations are often held in wedding halls late in the evening, and in many families men and women celebrate separately. Henna evenings, music and abundant food are common, though practices differ by region and family, and guests should follow their hosts’ guidance.
South Africa recognises civil, religious and customary marriages, and its many communities bring different traditions. In many Nguni and other African families, lobola negotiations between the families come first and are a sign of respect and union, and a single couple’s celebration may combine a church service, a white wedding and traditional ceremonies.
Spanish couples may marry in a church or in a civil ceremony at the town hall, and Spain legalised same-sex marriage in 2005. Receptions are generous and long, starting with a multi-course meal and moving on to dancing, and in some regions a gathering called the tornaboda follows the next day. Customs differ from Andalusia to Galicia and Catalonia.
Surinamese families come from Hindustani, Javanese, Creole, Maroon, Chinese, Indigenous and other backgrounds, so no single wedding format exists. Many couples marry civilly and also hold a religious or customary celebration, often with music, shared food and several days of events. Guests are wise to ask the family about customs and dress.
In Türkiye only the civil ceremony, the nikâh at a municipal marriage office, is legally valid; a religious ceremony alone is not. Before the wedding many families hold a henna night, kına gecesi, and at the celebration guests pin gold or money on the couple. Dancing, especially the halay line dance, is part of most receptions.
Emirati weddings follow an Islamic marriage contract, and celebrations are often large, with separate gatherings for men and women in many families. Traditional music, henna evenings and elaborate dress feature alongside generous hospitality. The country also has large expatriate communities, so guests may attend ceremonies from many other traditions.
American weddings are shaped by the couple’s family background, faith and region. A marriage licence is obtained from a county or local office, and an officiant leads the ceremony. Common elements include a wedding party, a rehearsal dinner the night before, toasts, a first dance and a gift registry. Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since 2015.
In Venezuela the civil registry makes a marriage official, and many couples also hold a church wedding. Receptions are lively, with a shared meal, toasts and dancing to salsa, merengue and other Latin rhythms. Close friends or relatives often stand with the couple as padrinos, and customs differ between families and regions, from the Andes to the coast.
A Vietnamese wedding unfolds in stages: an engagement ceremony, lễ ăn hỏi, where families exchange gifts in trays wrapped in red; the wedding day, with a procession to the bride’s family home and offerings at the ancestral altar; and a banquet. The bride often wears a red or gold áo dài, and guests give money in an envelope.
