Common western superstitions include the bride not wearing black or red, the groom not seeing the bride on the day of the wedding before the ceremony, and the throwing of rice as the couple leave the church.

The figure of a bride in white is an important element of the ritual of marriage in western culture. However, new designs of gown are available so brides today may find themselves attracted to designs that do not look traditional. The symbolism behind the wedding dress, however, has not changed.

In recent years, the "Western Style Wedding" (influenced by a Christian church wedding) has become an increasingly popular choice. An entire industry has sprung up, dedicated to providing couples with a ceremony modeled after Protestant church ceremonies.

The purpose of inviting guests was to have them witness a couple's marriage ceremony and vows and to share in the bride and groom's joy and celebration. Gifts for the bride and groom are optional, although most guests attempt to give at least a token gift of their best wishes. Some brides and grooms and families feel, contrary to proper etiquette, that for the expense and effort they put into showing their guests a good time and to wine and dine them, the guests should reciprocate by providing nice gifts or cash.

In some Eurpoean cultures it is traditional to pin money on the bride's dress. The amount of money obtained can be quite staggering, but people forget this money tends to circulate around very close-knit communities.

The couple often registers for gifts at a store well in advance of their wedding. This allows them to create a list of household items, usually including china, silverware and crystalware. More recently electrical goods, including the electric toaster of popular culture, appear on such registers.

With brides and grooms who might already be independent and have lived on their own, even owning their own homes jointly, they sometimes register at hardware or home improvement stores.

Registries are intended to make it easy for guests who wish to purchase gifts to feel comfortable that they are purchasing gifts that the newlyweds will truly appreciate. The registry information should, according to etiquette, be provided only to guests who request it. Some couples register with services that enable money gifts intended to fund items such as a honeymoon, home purchase or education fund.

Some guests may find bridal registries inappropriate. They can be seen as an anathema to traditional notions behind gift buying, such as contravening the belief that "one should be happy for what they receive", taking away the element of surprise, and leading to present buying as a type of competition, as the couple knows the costs of each individual item. It may also be seen by some as inappropriate to invite people who do not know either the bride or groom well enough to be able to pick out an appropriate gift.

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