The purpose of the article. To analyze the peculiarities of the Ukrainian wedding ritual in the context of traditions and innovations in culture in the period from the beginning of the XX century - to the 20th years of the XXI century. The research methodology is to apply historiographical analysis in order to an in-depth study of the development of the wedding ritual. The scientific novelty is to analyze the peculiarities of transformation of the Ukrainian wedding ritual in the period from the beginning of the XX century - to the 20th years of the XXI century. Conclusions. A wedding is a ritual, a significant event that symbolizes the beginning of a new family life. The rites and customs of a wedding were not always the same. Coming out of the depths of the centuries, they have undergone transformations, and some of them have disappeared altogether. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, wedding rituals have become a significant element of urban culture; Over time, it began to be actively influenced by civilizational views on marriage, the relationship between man and woman, and scientific, technological, and socio-cultural changes in terms of organizing and conducting a wedding. For Ukraine, in different political and socio-cultural epochs, wedding ceremonies and ritual and symbolic actions have been transformed and modernized. This is especially true in the Soviet era when wedding ceremonies were monopolized by the state - from clothing and attributes of wedding symbols to the general state and mood. In the state of "Sovietization" and "Sovietization", wedding ceremonies and rituals acquired features in which autochthonous elements of traditional Ukrainian culture were leveled. Today there is a transformation and modernization of the wedding ceremony and ritual in relation to the changes that are taking place in the course of the global virtual information age. Along with changes in the worldview, traditions, customs, rites, and rituals are also changing and transforming, especially in their symbolic form; it, in turn, is within the influence of modern applied art, design, household elements, and, mainly, urban folklore and, more broadly, "urban" art and customs.
 Key words: wedding, ritual, ceremony, symbol, Ukrainian culture, ethnic history, global society