Wedding customs that may seem unfamiliar from the outside often mark family bonds, welcome a bride or groom into a community, or express hopes for a shared future. These examples come from particular communities and settings—not from every person in a country—and some are adapted or preserved mainly as heritage. Here are 14 documented practices, with their actions and meanings kept together.
Before the ceremony: preparation, protection and welcome
Polterabend and log sawing in Germany
In the polterabend described by Vogue’s September 6, 2026 survey, guests smash porcelain before the wedding and the couple cleans up the shards. The article associates the cleanup with luck, protection from evil spirits and facing difficulties together. It also describes couples sawing a log together after the wedding as a symbol of cooperation. These are reported customs, not practices shared by all German couples.
Haldi in India
In the haldi ritual, relatives and friends apply turmeric paste to the couple before the wedding, often amid music and dancing. Vogue describes protective and purifying meanings and notes that couples may adapt the gathering. Those are ritual meanings, not evidence that turmeric has a medical or cosmetic effect.
Hammam and henna gatherings in North Africa
Vogue describes pre-wedding hammam gatherings and henna celebrations in Muslim and Jewish wedding contexts in North Africa. Henna designs are associated with good luck. The account does not make these customs uniform across the region or its religious communities.
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Zaffa: a bridal procession
UNESCO’s 2025 heritage record of the zaffa describes a traditional procession marking the transition to married life, with preparation, music, dance and community gathering. Protective or blessing acts vary among practising communities; examples in the record include drinking milk, cracking an egg or wearing a relative’s cape. Sweets and flowers may also be thrown during the procession. The record covers a living tradition with variations, not one fixed ritual used everywhere the zaffa is practised.
Betashar in Kazakhstan
In the betashar ritual described in UNESCO’s 2024 record, a singer or leader praises the groom’s family and ancestors as the bride’s face is revealed. The bride and her sisters-in-law bow as relatives are named; the groom’s mother welcomes her, and relatives shower the couple with sweets and coins. UNESCO describes knowledge of the ritual passing between generations and through apprenticeships.
During the wedding: vows, gestures and family ties
San-san-kudo in traditional Shinto ceremonies in Japan
Vogue describes san-san-kudo as a ritual in which the couple take sips from three cups of different sizes. The article associates the action with bonds between the couple and their families. It is a reported practice in traditional Shinto ceremonies, not a description of every Japanese wedding.
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Laço or lasso in some Mexican Catholic, Filipino and Latino communities
A cord or rosary is placed around the couple’s joined hands to represent commitment and intertwined lives, according to Vogue. Similar handfasting is also noted in Irish weddings. The specific object and ceremony depend on community and family practice.
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Tea ceremonies in China
In the tea ceremony described by Vogue, the couple serve tea to parents and extended family as a sign of respect. Relatives may respond with gifts and good wishes. The account is an editorial overview, not a claim that all Chinese couples include the ceremony.
Koumbaro shaving in Greek communities
Vogue reports that, on the wedding morning, the groom’s koumbaro (best man) gives him a wet shave. The article presents the act as an expression of trust. The custom is associated with some Greek communities rather than every Greek wedding.
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Cyprus: clothing, blessing and incense customs
The Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO’s 2016 record of traditional wedding customs lists practices including shaving the groom, dancing the wedding clothes, dressing the couple, and blessing them with incense. It also describes zosimon: a red kerchief or belt wrapped around the couple, associated with transition, wishes for fertility and protection from the evil eye. The record is explicit that many customs have been abandoned and that those preserved today vary.
Feasts, gifts and playful wedding moments
Money dances in Mexico and Nigeria
Vogue describes two variants: dance partners pin money to the couple’s clothing at some Mexican weddings, while guests shower dancing newlyweds with money in Nigeria. The collections go to the couple. The form varies by region and event, so neither description should be treated as a universal national custom.
Bomboniere in Italy
Vogue describes bomboniere, small favors for guests that may include five sugared almonds. The article connects the almonds with good luck and family life. The favors and their symbolism can vary.
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Resi at village weddings in Paphos, Cyprus
The Cyprus UNESCO record also describes resi, a meat-and-wheat dish associated particularly with village weddings in Paphos. Its inclusion in the heritage record gives the dish a specific regional setting; it should not be generalized to every Cypriot wedding.
Betashar’s sweets and coins
In Kazakhstan’s betashar, the sweets and coins relatives shower on the couple accompany the welcome ritual. UNESCO documents the full sequence and its transmission as heritage; the objects are part of that community practice, not generic wedding props.
Angothi khela in India
In the game described by Vogue, a ring is hidden in rice for the couple to find. The winner gets playful bragging rights; it is a lighthearted contest, not a serious rule governing the marriage.
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A cake pull in Peru
Vogue describes ribbons attached to charms being drawn by single women. One ribbon may lead to a faux ring, prompting a playful prediction about who might marry next. It is a festive game, not a reliable forecast.
Paebaek in Korea
In the paebaek account from Vogue, the couple bow and serve tea to their parents, who offer blessings and gifts. Dates and chestnuts are tossed for the couple to catch in a cloth; the article associates the fruit and nuts with hopes for future children. The account describes a particular ceremony, not an expectation for every Korean couple.
A red midnight dress in Hungary
Vogue reports that a bride may change into a red menyecske ruha at midnight, marking her status as a married woman. The practice is presented as an option in some weddings, not a universal rule.
Sofreh aghd in Persian weddings
Vogue describes the sofreh aghd as a table arrangement of symbolically meaningful items. Examples include candles, a mirror, nuts, eggs and coins, associated in the article with light, eternity, fertility and prosperity. Objects and arrangements differ, so the examples are not a required set.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow to understand unfamiliar wedding customs
- Start with the community and setting. A custom may belong to a particular region, religious ceremony, family or village rather than an entire country.
- Read the action alongside its meaning. A cup of tea, a scarf, clothing, food or a ceremonial object can express respect, welcome, protection or connection between generations.
- Distinguish a living practice from a historical record. UNESCO’s records describe selected heritage practices; museum presentations preserve context and objects but do not establish how often a custom is used today.
- Leave room for change. Couples and families may preserve, adapt or discontinue customs. The Cyprus heritage record, for example, notes that many traditional practices have been abandoned and those still kept vary.
- Avoid ranking customs as strange. What looks unusual without context may be a meaningful way for a community to recognize a marriage and welcome the couple.
For historical context on wedding clothing and material culture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Wedding Attire: Three Cultures, One Celebration” presents ensembles from China, Japan, and Ottoman Turkey and the Balkans, with featured objects dating from the eighteenth to early twentieth centuries. Wake Forest University’s Lam Museum of Anthropology likewise presented clothing from K’iche’ Maya, Mapuche, Maasai, Rajasthani, Blue Hmong, Mein and Javanese communities in its 2008 exhibition, “Ties that Bind: Wedding Customs from around the World.” Both are useful historical and cultural interpretations, not evidence of present-day frequency.
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