Wedding

A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by the couple, presentation of a gift (offering, ring(s), symbolic item, flowers, money), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure. Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayers or readings from religious texts or literature are also commonly incorporated into the ceremony.

Contents   [hide]
1 Common elements across cultures
2 Traditional wedding clothing attire
3 Wedding music
3.1 Western weddings
4 Religious aspects of weddings
4.1 Customs associated with various religions and cultures
4.1.1 Christian customs
4.1.1.1 Quaker customs
4.1.2 Hindu customs
4.1.3 Jewish customs
4.1.4 Muslim cultures
4.1.5 Chinese cultures
5 Humanist weddings
6 Wedding types
6.1 Civil wedding
6.2 Destination wedding
6.3 Double wedding
6.4 Elopement
6.5 Handfasting
6.6 Highland or Scottish wedding
6.7 Mass wedding
6.8 Military wedding
6.9 Vow renewal wedding
6.10 Same-sex wedding
6.11 Shotgun wedding
6.12 Weekend wedding
6.13 White wedding
6.14 Peasant wedding
6.14.1 Origin
7 Wedding ceremony participants
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
Common elements across cultures[edit]
See also: Wedding customs by country

Many cultures have adopted the traditional Western custom of the white wedding, when the bride wears a white wedding dress and veil. Painting by Edmund Leighton (1853–1922)
Some cultures have adopted the traditional Western custom of the white wedding, in which a bride wears a white wedding dress and veil. This tradition was popularized through the marriage of Queen Victoria. Some say Victoria's choice of a white gown may have simply been a sign of extravagance, but may have also...