Australian Wedding Traditions to Know Before Planning

There are so many fun ways to incorporate wedding traditions into your ceremony, especially those from other cultures and countries, such as Australia. Whether you're getting married Down Under, have Australian heritage yourself or simply appreciate symbolism and meaning, you may be considering incorporating Australian wedding traditions into your ceremony or reception. If so, you're in luck. The Great Southern Land is brimming with cherished and time-honored traditions.

Australian weddings are unique because couples are encouraged to put their own spin on things and express their personalities through their wedding, explains international wedding photographer Rhianna May, who serves Italy, Portugal and Australia. "Like a lot of Australian culture, our physical isolation from the rest of the world and the fact that we are a multicultural country, means we express ourselves in really unique ways, and this is the same for weddings," she says. "From bright color schemes to completely ignoring traditional wedding-day timing to having a classic garden ceremony to keep the parents happy and a wild electric-colored, neon reception for the couple and their friends, you never totally know what you're going to find."

Keep reading to discover Australian wedding traditions and customs to include in your wedding. To find vendors in your area to bring these traditions to life, search The Knot Vendor Marketplace.

Australian Wedding Traditions in This Story: History | Prewedding |Attire| Ceremony | Reception | Postwedding

A Brief History of Australian Wedding Traditions

Australian wedding traditions date back to the early 18th and 19th centuries when British influence was heavily felt across the nation—think formal ceremonies, religious significance and perhaps a simple white dress inspired by Queen Victoria. Some of these traditions shifted in the early 20th century as immigrants arrived from various backgrounds and brought their own wedding customs, from Ukrainian wedding crowns to Scottish handfasting rituals, enriching the cultural landscape. Religious dominance, too, started to wane, which gave rise to more secular ceremonies and flexibility in structure and officiants.

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Prewedding Australian Traditions

Here are some common pre-wedding traditions for Australian weddings including combined celebrations and pre-ceremony blessings.

Combined Wedding Showers

Unlike some countries, which host a wedding shower for the bride only, Australian culture combines wedding showers where both to-be-weds are celebrated together. This is also becoming increasingly common in the US. There are plenty of benefits to a couple's wedding shower, such as a more inclusive atmosphere not held to traditional gender roles associated with wedding planning. It also allows both sides of the family and friends to come together and celebrate the couple as a unit.

Buck's Night and Hen's Night

Similar to American bach parties, these popular Australian wedding traditions involve separate outings for the nearlyweds prior to the wedding with their closest friends. They can be anything from a pub crawl night to a weekend getaway, offering a chance to celebrate and unwind before the wedding.

Smoking Ceremony

This beautiful and symbolic ritual is sometimes performed prior to the wedding itself and sometimes it's incorporated into the wedding ceremony. For Indigenous Australians, smoke has a deep spiritual significance. It's believed to cleanse and purify the area and the people participating in the ceremony. In the context of a wedding, it symbolizes cleansing and blessing the couple for a happy and healthy marriage.

Traditional Australian Wedding Attire

Traditional Australian wedding attire tends to lean more towards comfort than many other cultures, and this is a pure reflection of the laid-back Australian aesthetic. Here's a breakdown for brides, grooms and their guests.

Brides

Many Australian brides embrace a relaxed elegance, favoring lighter fabrics like lace, chiffon or crepe that are better suited to the warmer climate of Australia while maintaining a touch of sophistication. Tea-length or midi dresses are popular, especially for outdoor weddings. Many modern brides may also choose separates, such as a skirt and top or a pantsuit, for a contemporary and comfortable look. Accessories like fascinators or floral crowns add whimsy or a natural connection, complemented by simple jewelry and comfortable shoes that complete the outfit.

Grooms

A well-tailored suit in lighter colors like beige, blue or gray made from fabrics like linen or cotton is the way to go for most Australian grooms, offering a balance between formality and comfort for warmer weather. Waistcoats can add a touch of formality without being too stuffy, ties or bow ties are optional, with lighter fabrics or patterned options adding personality and sometimes leather dress shoes or dress boots are common choices, depending on the overall formality of the wedding.

Guests

Australian wedding guest attire is more relaxed than many other countries, with formal, black tie or white tie being far less common. Semi-formal dresses, dressy separates or jumpsuits for women are common. Men often opt for suits in darker colors (navy or charcoal) with dress shirts and ties. If it's a beach wedding, guests often dress more relaxed with flowy maxi dresses for women and light-colored suits or linen pants and a button-down for men.

Australian Wedding Ceremony Traditions

A ring-warming ceremony, unity bowl and handfasting are common ceremony traditions you might find at an Australian wedding.

The Ring Warming

This sentimental wedding ceremony tradition is common in Australia and Ireland. During the ceremony, wedding rings are passed from guest to guest in a circle, either before or after the vows or at a designated point for ring warming. Guests hold the rings close, sending their silent blessings and hopes for the couple's happiness, infusing the rings with love and positive energy.

The Unity Bowl

This symbolic ritual is popular in Western countries like Australia. It represents the couple's two lives uniting into one as they embark on their journey together. During the ceremony, two separate containers hold different colored sands or materials representing the couple's individual lives before marriage. The couple pours their chosen materials into a single, larger bowl, symbolizing the blending of their lives and commitment to their future together. Variations include using sand in colors representing their birthplaces or favorite locations, or using crystals, flowers or other meaningful items. The completed unity bowl becomes a keepsake, often displayed in their home as a reminder of their ceremony and unity.

Handfasting

This ancient tradition that predates many modern religions is quite common in Australia. It involves tying the couple's hands together with ribbons, cords, vines or fabric sashes during the ceremony. It symbolizes the binding of two people in marriage for life. This handfasting typically coincides with the exchanging of vows, adding a powerful visual element to the couple's commitment.

Australian Wedding Party

The wedding parties in Australia are a bit more relaxed and flexible compared to some other cultures like the US. Typically, the wedding party is made up of close friends, but there are usually only one to four members. It's also fairly common for couples to take a more inclusive approach, opting to have both genders as part of each wedding party.

Including Family Members

Younger siblings or children of close friends might be included as junior bridesmaids or groomsmen, adding a touch of cuteness to the ceremony. Often the to-be-weds are escorted down the aisle by their parents and speeches are given by close family members.

Ceremony Music Traditions

Australian wedding ceremonies tend to be slightly less formal when it comes to music and performers compared to other cultures. The music choice is often contemporary, reflecting the couple's personal taste. Unlike some cultures with elaborate musical entrances or exits, Australian ceremonies typically focus on simpler sounds. Celebrations incorporating Australian aboriginal wedding traditions might include traditional music played on instruments like the didgeridoo or clapsticks, adding a spiritual and cultural dimension.

Shorter Wedding Ceremonies

Many of the traditions of Australian ceremonies make them unique, including the smoking ceremony, ring warming and handfasting. Lighthearted touches and shorter ceremonies, typically 20 to 40 minutes, focus on creating heartfelt, meaningful experiences.

Australian Wedding Reception Traditions

From cuisine to dances, here are some common wedding traditions you might find at an Australian wedding reception.

The Sharing of Food

Instead of individual, plated meals, many Australian wedding receptions involve a grazing style with various food stations offering canapés, finger foods and barbeque options. This encourages mingling and conversation among guests. This traditional Australian wedding food often features kangaroo or crocodile meat, seafood or native fruits and veggies.

Dancing the Nutbush

This popular line dance is performed to the song "Nutbush City Limits" by Ike and Tina Turner, May explains. The Australian wedding tradition became popular in the 1970s and is still incorporated today. It's a great way for guests to let loose and burn off some steam on the dance floor. With the rise of TikTok videos, the Nutbush has seen a resurgence in popularity, making it a recognizable and potentially nostalgic choice for some couples, May adds.

Lamingtons

This traditional Australian wedding cake is a beloved dessert. It's essentially a butter cake or sponge cake coated in a thin layer of chocolate sauce and then rolled in desiccated coconut and cut into bite-sized squares. While the classic recipe reigns supreme, some variations might include flavored cake (like strawberry or chocolate), different types of chocolate coating (white chocolate or dark chocolate) or even a sprinkle of nuts on top for added texture, May notes.

The Dollar Dance

Sometimes referred to as the Money Dance or Apron Dance, this fun Australian wedding reception tradition is seen in various cultures around the world. It typically takes place after the first dances and involves the newlyweds standing on the dance floor with their guests lined up to pay a small amount, traditionally in dollar bills, to dance with them for a short time. Variations include guests pinning the money directly onto the bride's dress or the groom's clothing instead of handing it to them directly.

Australian Postwedding Traditions

The day after the wedding reception takes place, many Australian couples host a postwedding brunch where friends and family gather in a relaxed setting to congratulate them. Australia itself is a popular honeymoon destination, so many couples honeymoon close by, choosing to explore the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday Islands or the wineries of Margaret River.