The money dance, dollar dance, or apron dance is an event at some

wedding reception A wedding reception is a party usually held after the completion of a marriage ceremony as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple ''receive'' society, in the form of family and friends, for t ...

s in various cultures. During a money dance, male guests pay to dance briefly with the bride, and sometimes female guests pay to dance with the groom. Sometimes guests are told that the money will be used for the bride and groom's honeymoon or to give them a little extra cash with which to set up housekeeping.

Europe

Poland

The money dance may have originated in Poland around the beginning of the 20th century. The dance takes place some time after the

first dance A first dance is the opening dance in various traditions. First Dance may refer to: * ''First Dance'' (EP), a 1995 EP by Michael Bublé * "First Dance" (song), a 2009 song by Justin Bieber * '' The First Dance'', a 2009 album by Bridezilla ...

, often once guests have had a chance to have a few drinks. The

best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be ...

or MC or the

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

announces the event. Customarily, the

begins dancing with the bride, pinning money onto her

wedding gown A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. In Western cultures and Anglo-Sa ...

or putting it into a purse, which she carries especially for the purpose, or into the pockets of an

apron An apron is a garment that is worn over other clothing to cover the front of the body. The word comes from old French ''napron'' meaning a small piece of cloth, however over time "a napron" became "an apron", through a linguistics process cal ...

she dons over her gown, especially for this dance. In a more contemporary version of this custom, the dance includes

bridesmaids Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party in a Western traditional wedding ceremony. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often a close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Traditi ...

and other ladies who dance.

Ukraine

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

weddings, the father of the bride usually begins pinning money on her dress. He is followed by the best man and

groomsmen A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be s ...

, and, finally, by the remainder of the male guests. Another variation is where the bride's veil is removed and given to the maid of honor and an apron is placed on the bride. Money is then placed into her apron during the dance.

Balkan

In Balkan countries (Bosnia, Serbia,...) weddings, instead of pinning the money on the bride's gown, the male guests give the money to the best man for safe keeping.

Hungary

At Hungarian weddings, the bride takes off her shoes and puts them in the middle of the dance floor. Then her shoes are passed around from guest to guest and each deposits a contribution.

Africa

Nigeria

Money spraying is an integral part of the

Yoruba people The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitut ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. They are very flamboyant and appreciate the essence of life and every success in merriment. Other tribes in Nigeria described them as party loving people. Money spraying symbolizes a showering of happiness, good fortune and a display of the guest's affection for the couple. The bride and groom are ushered in and dance behind the wedding party. Guests encircle the couple on the dance floor and come forward, placing bills on the couple's forehead or side of their chest allowing them to “rain down.” “At a Nigerian wedding reception, the bride and groom are dressed in traditional attire,” “For the Yoruba Ethnic Group, the bride wears Iro and Buba and the groom wears an Agbada. As the money is sprayed, 'collectors’ take the cash from the floor and place in bags for the couple.”

North America

Mexico

Relatives take turns dancing up to the bride and groom and pinning money on their clothes, which allows the couple to spend a few moments with each of their guests. After the money dance, the groom is ridiculed by his friends, tossed in the air while being covered with the veil, and given an apron and broom.

United States and Canada

In United States and Canada (including Puerto Rico), the practice of a money dance varies by geographic region and ethnic background of the families involved. It typically involves guests giving small sums of cash to the bride or pinning cash to her gown or veil. Sometimes the money is placed in an apron or pouch held by the maid of honor or a female relative, and the best man gives shots of whiskey to participants before the dance. Some consider this a way for the bride and groom to have face time with their guests and to wish them luck. Any guest has the opportunity to dance with the bride or groom for 30–60 seconds. Sometimes couples keep the money outright, while some may save it for their firstborn child.

The Philippines

A feature of some

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

weddings is the money dance. Men line up in front of the bride and pin money to her dress or veil, then dance with her. The same sequence occurs with the groom; women line up in front of him and pin money to his clothing. Money pinned or taped onto the new married couple's garments represents a wish that good fortune be "rained" upon them, and is also a means of helping the couple financially as they begin their life together.

References

{{wedding Dance culture Wedding traditions