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By Forever Farrah Published 2026-09-17.
Where a church wedding counts in law and where you need the town hall first, plus Polterabend, confetti, crowns and arras. European weddings compared.
Weddings across Europe differ most in two ways: the law and the customs. In France, Germany and the Netherlands, only a civil wedding is legally binding, so couples who want a church wedding hold it after the town hall. In England and Wales, Italy, Spain, Greece and Sweden, a religious ceremony can also be the legal marriage. On top of that, every country has its own customs, from German plate-smashing to Italian sugared almonds and Greek wedding crowns.
The EU's own Your Europe guidance notes that national rules on marriage differ between EU countries, including on the relationship between religious and civil marriage. Broadly, countries fall into two groups.
Civil ceremony required. In France, the French government's Service-Public guidance says the marriage is celebrated at the town hall, in a room open to the public, and that it is forbidden to celebrate a religious marriage before the civil one. Germany recognises only civil marriages, according to Wikipedia's overview of civil marriage. In the Netherlands, couples first register their intention to marry, called ondertrouw, and those who want a religious wedding hold it after the civil one.
Religious or civil. In England and Wales, GOV.UK says a religious wedding can take place at any registered religious building, as long as an authorised person attends and signs the marriage document. In Italy, a Catholic "concordat" wedding gains civil effect once the priest sends the record to the civil registrar, as Italian Wikipedia explains. Marriage in Spain may be contracted via religious or civil authorities, per Wikipedia. In Greece, both civil and religious marriages are legally binding, per Wikipedia's article on marriage in Greece. In Sweden, the Swedish Tax Agency says you can be married by a religious or a civil officiant, after the agency has checked there are no impediments.
Rules change, and extra conditions apply to foreign nationals, so always check with the registry office, town hall or embassy before planning.
Germany. On the Polterabend, the night before the wedding, guests smash porcelain for luck ("shards bring luck"), and the couple sweeps it up together. The custom is also found, less often, in Poland, Austria and Switzerland.
Italy. Guests receive confetti, sugared almonds. According to Wikipedia's entry on dragées, they are often packaged in fives to represent happiness, health, longevity, wealth and fertility.
Greece. In the Orthodox ceremony, the couple wear crowns, stefana, joined by a ribbon, and the sponsor (the koumbaros or koumbara) exchanges them over the couple's heads, as described in Wikipedia's article on Orthodox marriage. Greece's sugared almonds are called koufeta.
Spain. In Catholic weddings, the couple exchange las arras, traditionally thirteen coins, blessed by the priest and symbolising shared goods and prosperity.
Scotland. Couples may share a drink from a quaich, a shallow two-handled cup, often just after signing the register. Some add handfasting, where the couple's hands are bound with ribbon or cord, a largely modern form of an old custom.
Norway. A kransekake, a tower of almond rings, is served at weddings and other celebrations; in Denmark, a cornucopia-shaped version is the wedding cake.
| Country | Is a religious wedding legally valid on its own? | A custom you may see |
|---|---|---|
| France | No, civil ceremony at the town hall first | Separate mairie and celebration |
| Germany | No, civil marriage only | Polterabend plate-smashing |
| Netherlands | No, civil marriage first | Ondertrouw registration |
| England and Wales | Yes, in a registered religious building | Church or civil ceremony |
| Italy | Yes, for a transcribed Catholic concordat wedding | Sugared almonds in fives |
| Spain | Yes, religious or civil | Thirteen arras coins |
| Greece | Yes, religious or civil | Stefana crowns |
| Sweden | Yes, with an authorised officiant | Impediment check first |
In many countries, civil ceremonies now dominate. The Office for National Statistics found 83.0% of marriages in England and Wales in 2022 were civil ceremonies, up from 50.4% in 1992. For more on how customs are changing, see traditional vs modern weddings around the world.
Two ceremonies may be normal. In civil-first countries, a small town hall wedding and a larger celebration are common, sometimes on different days. Our guide on whether to have two wedding ceremonies helps you decide.
Allow time for paperwork. France posts banns at the town hall for 10 days, for example, and Sweden requires an impediment check. Foreign couples may need extra documents.
Guest lists can differ by event. Many couples invite close family to the civil ceremony and everyone to the party. Forever Farrah tracks RSVPs per event, so each ceremony keeps its own headcount.
Brief international guests. A bilingual note on your website helps; see bilingual wedding ceremony ideas.
Seating a multicultural guest list? See how Matchmaker seats families together automatically.
France, Germany and the Netherlands are well-known examples where only a civil ceremony is legally binding and any religious wedding follows it. Check each country's current rules, as others also require one.
Yes, if it is a Catholic concordat wedding. The priest sends the marriage record to the civil registrar, and once transcribed it has civil effect.
A German eve-of-wedding party where guests smash porcelain for good luck and the couple sweeps up the pieces together.
Usually, but requirements differ by country and often include residency periods, translated documents or a certificate of no impediment. Ask the local registry office or your embassy.
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