Here are some very different ways that weddings take place in different religions.

• Quaker Ceremony: The ceremony, like other Quaker meetings, takes place in silence, with people rising to speak as they are so moved. The couple states their promises to each other, with the idea that they are married by God, and the marriage is witnessed by those in attendance. At the end of the service, those in attendance are asked to sign a marriage certificate in witness, which is then displayed in the couple’s home.

• Eastern Orthodox Ceremony: The Eastern Orthodox wedding ceremony takes place in two distinct parts. The first part of the service—consisting of the exchange of rings and often the declaration of consent—is equated to the civil service and takes place in the vestibule of the church closest to the secular world. From there, the couple makes their procession into the church, and in doing so brings their relationship into God’s kingdom. There are no spoken vows, as the couple’s presence is considered their consent. The couple is crowned as part of the service.

• Jewish Ceremony: The basic elements of the Jewish wedding include the signing of a ketubah (a legal marriage document), the ceremony and ring exchange under a chuppah (wedding canopy), and the seclusion of the couple after the ceremony, known as yichud. Common ritual elements include seven circles (originally of the bride around the groom, now often of the couple around each other), the singing of seven blessings, the drinking of wine, and the breaking of a glass. Notably, though a rabbi is present during the ceremony, the couple marries each other by reciting vows, with the rabbi serving as witness.

• Muslim Ceremony: Much like Jewish weddings, Muslim weddings have a few key parts. There is the exchange of the mahr, or the marriage gift, which can be in the form of cash or personal property, given from the groom to the bride. There is a declaration of consent and acceptance, followed by the signing of a legal document. A marriage sermon is given by a respected member of the community. Although some modern Muslim ceremonies do incorporate vows, it isn’t a historically traditional part of the service.

• Hindu Ceremony: Although there is no standard Hindu ceremony, there is a set of basic rituals on which a service tends to be based. These rituals include the baraat (the arrival of the groom and groom’s family), the kanyadaan (the giving away of the daughter), and the sankalpa (the couple garlanding each other to signal mutual approval to move forward). The ceremony itself physically takes place around a sacred fire. The most important component is the seven-step ritual, in which each step represents a vow that one partner makes to the other.

• Buddhist Ceremony: Marriage is not a sacred ceremony within Buddhism. Because of this, a wedding is expected to be a generally secular affair, which takes place according to the guidelines of the local government, usually with a blessing by a monk at a temple after the wedding, as the temple is seen as the center of the community. That said, many practitioners do include Buddhist thought and practice in their ceremonies, sometimes incorporating the five precepts into vows, along with rituals such as hand washing, offering gifts to Buddha, offerings to monks, and the lighting of candles and incense.