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By Forever Farrah Published 2026-09-17.
The Italian wedding traditions still followed today, from confetti almonds and bomboniere to la busta cash envelopes and the tarantella, and how to use them.
The Italian wedding traditions most couples still follow are confetti, sugar-coated almonds given in odd numbers; bomboniere, the small favours that hold them; la busta, an envelope of cash given to the couple; and the tarantella, a fast circle dance. Older customs such as the serenata, a serenade under the bride's window, are rarer. Many of these traditions come from southern Italy, and families in Italy and in the diaspora follow them in different ways.
| Tradition | What it is | Still common? |
|---|---|---|
| Confetti | Sugar-coated almonds, usually five | Yes, in Italy and the diaspora |
| Bomboniere | A favour holding the confetti, often a box, pouch or keepsake | Yes |
| La busta and la borsa | Cash in envelopes, collected in a satin bag | Yes, especially in Italian-American families |
| Tarantella | A fast, joyful circle dance | Yes, at many receptions |
| La serenata | A serenade the night before the wedding | Rarer |
In Italy, confetti doesn't mean paper; it means sugar-coated almonds. The Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere describes them as almonds in a white sugar shell, typically given in an odd number, usually five, for good luck and wrapped in tulle. L'Italo-Americano explains the five as health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life, and reads the hard sugar shell and the almond inside as the hardships and rewards of married life.
White is the classic colour for weddings. The town of Sulmona, in Abruzzo, is famous for them, and the name confetti di Sulmona is still used for the traditional kind. Many couples also add a confettata, a table of loose confetti in different flavours for guests to help themselves.
A bomboniera is the favour that holds the confetti. L'Italo-Americano describes it as a decorative box or a simple tulle sachet, sometimes attached to a keepsake, and notes the word comes from the French bonbonnière, a precious box for sweets. Casa Belvedere adds that the confetti are often tied with ribbons printed with the couple's names and wedding date.
A few practical tips:
La busta ("the envelope") is a cash gift given to the couple. Casa Belvedere describes la borsa as a satin bag the bride carries to hold the envelopes, entrusting it to her mother or another close adult when she's busy. In a letter to the Heloise column, a reader describes the Italian-American version on the US East Coast: guests line up after dinner to hand over envelopes, and the couple later record each gift in a book so they can reciprocate at future family weddings.
There's no set amount, and expectations differ between families and regions. If you'd like cash gifts, it's fine to mention it kindly on your wedding website, and to have a secure box or a trusted relative looking after the bag all night. For how gift customs differ elsewhere, see who gives gifts at weddings around the world.
The tarantella is a fast folk dance from southern Italy, associated with Apulia, Calabria, Campania and Sicily. Its name is linked to the city of Taranto and to an old folk belief that a spider bite could be cured by frenzied dancing. At weddings, Casa Belvedere describes guests holding hands and circling the couple, moving one way then the other as the music speeds up.
Ask your band or DJ to play it once the dance floor is warm, and have a relative lead the first round so guests who don't know it can follow.
Ask which customs matter most to each side of the family, and pick a few to do well rather than all of them. If one partner isn't Italian, a short note in the programme or on your wedding website explaining the confetti and the busta helps. Forever Farrah can hold your guest list, RSVPs, meal choices and seating chart, which is handy for the long family tables Italian receptions tend to need. See also Greek wedding traditions, which share the sugared almonds, and how weddings differ across Europe.
Seating a multicultural guest list? See how Matchmaker seats families together automatically.
Tradition says an odd number, usually five, brings luck. The five are often explained as health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life.
An envelope of cash given to the couple as a wedding gift. At many Italian-American weddings the envelopes go into a satin bag, la borsa, held by the bride or a close relative.
There's no fixed amount. It depends on your relationship to the couple, your budget and local custom, so ask family if you're unsure.
Yes, at many receptions in Italy and in Italian families abroad, usually as a circle dance around the couple.
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