A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Marriage traditions and customs vary widely across cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of wedding vows by the couple, presentation of a gift (sacrifice, ring(s), symbolic item, flowers, money), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure. Special wedding attire is often worn and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayers or readings from religious texts or literature are also often incorporated into the ceremony.

Some cultures have adopted the traditional western custom of the white wedding, where a bride wears a white wedding dress and veil. This tradition was popularized by the wedding of Queen Victoria. Some say that while Victoria's choice of a white dress was simply a sign of extravagance, it could also have been influenced by the values she held and emphasized sexual purity. Within the modern "white wedding" tradition, a white dress and veil are unusual choices for a woman's second or subsequent marriage.

The use of a wedding ring has long been part of religious weddings in Europe and America, but the origin of the tradition is unclear. One possibility is the Roman belief in the Vena amoris, which was believed to be a blood vessel that ran from the fourth finger (ring finger) directly to the heart. So when a couple wore rings on this finger, their hearts were connected. Historian Vicki Howard points out that the belief in the "ancient" quality of the practice is most likely a modern invention. “Double ring” ceremonies are also a modern practice, with a groom's wedding ring not appearing in the United States until the early 20th century.

The wedding ceremony is often followed by a wedding reception or breakfast, where the rituals may include speeches by the groom, the best man, the father of the bride and possibly the bride, the newlywed couple's first dance as a couple, and the broaching of a elegant wedding cake.

Music played at Western weddings includes a processional song to walk down the aisle (example: wedding march) before or after the wedding service. An example of such use is mentioned in the 1878 marriage of Nora Robinson and Alexander Kirkman Finlay. Relevant music includes:

• Several works for trumpet and organ, the most famous of which are perhaps Jeremiah Clarke's Prince of Denmark's March as procession, Henry Purcell's "Trumpet Tune" and John Stanley's "Trumpet Voluntary" as recessions.
  Selections by George Frideric Handel, perhaps most notably the “Air” from his Water Music as procession and the “Alla Hornpipe” as recessive.
• Richard Wagner's "Wedding Choir" from Lohengrin, often used as a procession and commonly known as "Here Comes the Bride". Richard Wagner is said to have been anti-Semitic and as a result the bridal choir is often not used at Jewish weddings.
• The Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel is an alternative procession.
• The “Wedding March” from Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, used as a recession.
• The “Toccata” from Charles-Marie Widor's Symphony for Organ No. 5, used as a recession.
• Segments of the Ode to Joy, the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
• Other alternative considerations include various contemporary melodies such as Bob Marley's One Love, which is often performed by a steel drum band.