Wedding Traditions Around the World: Customs Couples Bring to American Weddings
A multicultural wedding can honor family history while feeling personal to the couple. Learn what several traditions can mean and how to include them with care.
Key takeaways
- Traditions vary among families and communities, so ask relatives what a ritual means to them before planning it.
- Explain unfamiliar customs to guests in the program or through a short announcement, without turning a ceremony into a lecture.
- Check with cultural and religious leaders, family members and experienced vendors before changing a ritual or its setting.
- Tell guests what participation involves, and make joining in optional when possible.
- Confirm that your legal marriage requirements are met separately from any symbolic ceremony.
In this guide
A wedding may bring together customs that are familiar to one side of the family and new to the other. You might be deciding whether to include a lazo, jumping the broom, the hora, mehndi or a tea ceremony, and how to make each part meaningful rather than decorative.
This guide explains several traditions and the variations to keep in mind. It also offers practical ways to plan a ceremony that reflects the people involved, along with etiquette tips for guests attending a multicultural wedding.
Start with the people and the meaning
A tradition is not a prop or a shortcut to representing an entire culture. It may carry religious meaning, honor a particular relative, mark a family connection or simply be something the couple enjoys. Its significance can differ by region, faith, generation and family.
Begin with the people who have a relationship to the custom. Ask what it means in their family, who usually takes part, and whether there are parts that should stay private or unchanged. If a custom is religious, speak with the officiant or a knowledgeable leader from that community as well.
Questions to ask include:
- Who would feel comfortable explaining or leading this ritual?
- Is it part of a religious service, a family gathering or a reception tradition?
- Are there words, objects, clothing or actions with specific significance?
- Is there a customary order or role for relatives and sponsors?
- Would the family welcome guests watching, joining in or taking photos?
You do not have to include a custom because someone expects it, or because it is associated with a relative’s background. A conversation can help you choose a version that feels sincere, or decide not to include it.
Pro tip: Ask family members about their own practice, not what people from a whole country or religion supposedly do. That keeps the conversation specific and avoids treating one person’s view as universal.
Traditions you may encounter
These examples are starting points for a conversation, not instructions that apply to every family. Ask the couple or their relatives what the practice means in their ceremony and what guests should expect.
| Tradition | What it may involve | Planning considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Lazo | In some Mexican and other Latin American Catholic weddings, a cord or rosary is placed around the couple, often in a loop resembling a figure eight. Sponsors, sometimes called padrinos or madrinas, may present or place it. | Confirm who will take part and whether the couple wants a religious version. Coordinate timing and placement with the officiant. |
| Jumping the broom | Some African American couples include a broom-jumping ceremony as a meaningful wedding custom. It is associated with African American history, including the history of enslaved people whose marriages were not legally recognized. | Families may understand its meaning differently. Discuss the couple’s intended significance and avoid presenting a simplified origin story as the only account. |
| Hora | At many Jewish weddings, guests dance in a circle, and the couple may be lifted on chairs. Practices vary among Jewish communities and families. | Make participation optional. If chairs are used, arrange for capable helpers and a clear, safe dance area. Guests should not lift a chair unless asked and able to do so safely. |
| Mehndi | In many South Asian communities, a pre-wedding gathering may include applying henna designs to the bride, the groom and sometimes other guests. The event, designs and customs vary widely. | Ask whether guests are invited to receive henna and whether there are cultural or religious expectations for the gathering. Use a reputable artist and do not assume every South Asian wedding includes mehndi. |
| Tea ceremony | In some Chinese weddings, the couple serves tea to elders as a gesture of respect and family connection. The participants, sequence and words can differ by family and region. | Ask relatives to guide the order and roles. Confirm whether the ceremony is private, and explain it to guests only if the family wants it shared. |
Other customs may include the seven steps, or saptapadi, in some Hindu wedding ceremonies; the pyebaek family ceremony in some Korean weddings; or a sofreh aghd spread in some Persian weddings. Filipino couples may include a veil, cord or candle ceremony. These descriptions are brief, and none represents every family in a community.
Some customs are closely tied to a religious service, while others are family or community practices. If you are unsure where a ritual fits, ask someone who knows the specific practice instead of relying only on a general online description.
Blend traditions with care
The couple can honor more than one background without trying to include every custom or making the ceremony feel like a series of demonstrations. Choose the practices that carry meaning for the people closest to them, and give each one room to be understood.
A useful planning process:
- List the traditions under consideration. Note who suggested each one and what it means to them. Do not make assumptions based on a family name or ancestry alone.
- Ask relatives what they want to preserve. Find out whether a relative hopes to lead the ritual, offer an heirloom or share a story. Make space for different views without asking one person to speak for everyone.
- Consult the right guide. For a religious rite, speak with the officiant or a knowledgeable leader. For a family custom, ask the relatives who practice it. Consider a cultural practitioner or experienced vendor when the family wants outside help.
- Decide what is public. Some parts may be intended for close family only. Ask before including a private ritual in the main ceremony, livestream or photographs.
- Agree on wording and roles. Let the person connected to the practice explain it, if they want to. Confirm names, pronunciation, order and any translation in advance.
- Rehearse the practical details. Check where people stand, what objects are needed and how long the moment takes. If a tradition involves movement, fire or lifting, plan for safety and accessibility.
If you are hiring a specialist to lead or demonstrate a custom, ask about their experience and how they work with families. Pay them fairly, and do not expect a relative or cultural practitioner to provide extensive planning or instruction without compensation. Couples who need to discuss family expectations and spending may find it helpful to talk about wedding money without fighting.
Good to know: A brief, accurate explanation is usually more helpful than a long speech. A printed program can name the ritual, identify the people taking part and offer a sentence about its significance, with the couple’s approval.
Make the ceremony work for the guests
Guests can follow unfamiliar customs more comfortably when they know what is coming. The couple or planner can use a program, a discreet announcement or a note on the wedding website to clarify what people will see and whether they are invited to participate.
Think through the schedule and setting as well as the symbolism. A tea ceremony may need a quiet space and time for family members to take part. Mehndi may be its own event rather than a brief ceremony moment. A hora needs enough open floor space, and a broom-jumping ceremony needs a stable broom and clear path.
Also consider access. Provide seating for guests who cannot stand or dance, a route that accommodates mobility devices, and alternatives to actions such as lifting or carrying. If a tradition involves flames, check venue rules and use the safeguards recommended by the officiant or venue. Do not assume a guest can or wants to participate because they belong to a particular community.
A wedding ceremony does not automatically satisfy the legal requirements for marriage. Those requirements, including the license and who may solemnize the marriage, vary by state and locality. Check with the county clerk or other relevant local office, and confirm that the person responsible understands what the law requires.
Guest etiquette at a multicultural wedding
Your invitation or program may explain the customs, but you can also ask the couple or planner a practical question before the event. Avoid making the couple responsible for a long cultural briefing during a busy wedding day.
As a guest:
- Follow the invitation and program. Check the requested attire, schedule, venue instructions and whether a separate cultural event is part of the invitation.
- Participate only when invited. If guests are asked to dance, serve tea or join another activity, follow the host’s lead. It is fine to sit out respectfully if you are uncomfortable or unable.
- Ask before photographing. Some ceremonies or family moments may be private. Follow any request to put phones away, and do not post images of people or rituals without considering their privacy.
- Respect religious and venue practices. Dress modestly if requested, remove shoes where instructed and follow guidance about head coverings or seating. Ask a host discreetly if you are unsure.
- Do not treat attire or ritual objects as costumes. Wear only what the couple or host has specifically invited you to wear, and do not handle ceremonial items unless asked.
- Be thoughtful around food and drink. If you have dietary needs, tell the hosts or caterer through the process provided. Do not assume a menu item’s ingredients or religious status.
For more on RSVPs, dress codes and gifts at US weddings, see wedding guest etiquette in the US.
Common mistakes to avoid
Assuming one tradition speaks for a whole culture. A custom may be common in some families and unfamiliar in others. Use the names and meanings preferred by the people involved.
Adding a ritual because it looks good in photos. If the couple cannot explain why the practice matters to them, pause and ask whether it belongs in the ceremony. Do not imitate sacred or culturally specific clothing and objects as decoration.
Treating a quick search as permission. Online explanations can be incomplete, and some rituals are private or have rules about who may lead them. Ask relatives and appropriate community leaders before adapting a practice.
Combining customs without thinking about sequence or meaning. A ceremony can include multiple traditions, but placing them together does not automatically make them respectful. Check that the order makes sense to the people for whom each custom matters.
Making guests guess what to do. If people are expected to stand, dance, remove shoes or join a procession, give clear instructions. Offer an alternative for people who cannot participate.
Confusing symbolic and legal ceremonies. A meaningful ritual may not complete the legal steps for marriage. Confirm the paperwork and officiant requirements for your state and locality separately.
The Bottom Line
A multicultural wedding works best when the couple starts with relationships and meaning, not a checklist of customs. Ask the people who know the practice, make room for family differences and explain only what the people involved want guests to know.
Plan the practical details with the same care as the ceremony itself. Clear invitations, accessible participation and respect for privacy help guests take part without turning a family tradition into a performance.
Frequently asked questions
How do you include two cultures in a wedding respectfully?
Start by asking relatives what a tradition means in their family and whether they want it included. Consult a religious or cultural leader when appropriate, agree on roles and wording, and avoid treating one custom as representative of an entire community.
What is a lazo ceremony at a wedding?
In some Mexican and other Latin American Catholic weddings, a cord or rosary is placed around the couple, often in a figure-eight shape. Sponsors may present or place it, but the practice and roles vary, so ask the couple or officiant about their version.
What does jumping the broom mean at a wedding?
Some African American couples use broom-jumping as a wedding custom connected to family history and the historical denial of legal marriage to enslaved people. Families may explain its meaning in different ways, so let the couple describe why they chose it.
What should I wear to a multicultural wedding?
Follow the invitation and any guidance from the couple or planner about attire, modesty, head coverings or shoes. Do not wear culturally specific clothing unless the hosts invite you to do so, and ask privately if instructions are unclear.
Should wedding guests join in traditions they do not know?
Join only when the couple or host invites guests to participate, and follow any instructions provided. Participation is usually optional, and watching quietly is appropriate if you are unsure or unable to take part.
