6 American Wedding Traditions You Need to Know

America is a large, diverse country, and there is no “normal” or “correct” way to have a wedding. Traditions vary based on the couples’ origins, religions, ethnicities, cultures, lifestyles, and preferences. You can find couples across the country adhering to ancient traditions or making up their own as they go along, leaving their own stamp on weddings.

Still, there are some time-honored traditions that a majority of American couples still perform. For example, a wedding cake and a first dance still feel like staples of most weddings. The majority of ceremonies still have some form of processional, and most receptions end with some kind of gesture to send off the newlyweds in style.

To help us dive deeper into some of the more popular American wedding traditions, we turned to Marcy Blum, a wedding and events planner with 30 years of experience. She works with brides and grooms across the country, so she’s seen what couples are up to nationally. For each tradition, she talked us through its origins, how it has evolved in modern times, and why couples still do it today.

Meet the Expert

Marcy Blum is an internationally sought-after event planner and entertaining expert.

Here are six of the most popular American wedding traditions.