A wedding is a ceremony in which two people or a couple get married. Wedding traditions and customs vary widely among cultures, races, religions, countries and social classes. Most weddings involve a couple exchanging wedding vows, giving gifts (gifts, rings, symbolic items, flowers, money) and publicly announcing marriage by an authority or host. They often wear special wedding clothes and sometimes hold wedding reception after the ceremony. Music, poetry, prayer or recitation of religious texts or literary works are often also included in the ceremony.

Some cultures adopt the traditional western white wedding customs, in which the bride wears a white wedding dress and veil. Queen Victoria's marriage popularized the tradition. Some say Victoria's choice of a white dress may be a sign of luxury, but it may also be influenced by her emphasis on sexual purity. In the modern "white wedding" tradition, white dresses and veils are the unusual choice for women's second or later weddings.

The use of wedding rings has always been a part of religious weddings in Europe and the United States, but the origin of the tradition is unclear. One possibility is the Roman faith in Venus AMORIS, believed to be a blood vessel that flows directly from the fourth finger (ring finger) to the heart. So when a couple wears a ring on the finger, their hearts are connected. Historian Vicki Howard points out that the belief in the "ancient" quality of practice is likely to be a modern invention. The "double ring" ceremony is also a modern practice, with the bridegroom's wedding ring not appearing in the United States until the early 20th century.

A wedding reception or breakfast is usually held after the wedding. The ceremony may include the speech of the bridegroom, the best man, the father of the bride and the possible bride, the first dance of the newlyweds and an elegant wedding cake.