A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by a couple, presentation of a gift, and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or celebrant. 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, as well as superstitious customs.
Kashmiri Hindu wedding (India)
Muslim wedding (Tunisia)
Roman Catholic white wedding (Philippines)
Same-sex civil wedding (United States)
A ceremony is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion.
Ceremonial at court during Prinsjesdag
Leaders welcome a boy into Scouting, March 2010, Mexico City, Mexico.
Senator Lionel Murphy, founder of the civil celebrant movement in Australia, which has now spread to the rest of the Western World
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz salutes Yom Kippur War casualties at an official annual memorial service.