Wedding dress and clothing
What the couple and the guests wear, and why: the white dress, the red sari, the kimono, the kente.
What the couple and their guests wear is the most visible part of a wedding. Dress carries meaning in its colour, cloth, cut and the person who makes or lends it. There is no single wedding outfit. There is a red sari, a white gown, a kimono, a hanbok, a kente cloth and a suit, each rooted in a place and often in a family.
Colour and cloth
White became the fashion for Western brides after Queen Victoria wore it in 1840, though it was not the universal choice before. In India red is the traditional colour of the bride, in a silk sari, lehenga or the Banarasi weave, and in China red is used for luck, in the qipao or the two-piece qungua. In Japan the shiromuku is white and the uchikake over it may be red or gold. In Ghana and Nigeria families may choose coordinated kente or aso ebi cloth. In Morocco the bride may change outfits several times in the amariya chair.
The groom and the guests
Grooms wear sherwanis in North India, barong tagalog in the Philippines, the kilt in Scotland, the morning coat in formal English weddings, and the dishdasha or bisht in the Gulf. Guests follow rules too: no white at a Western wedding, no black at many Asian ones, a head covering at a Sikh gurdwara or a Greek church, and bright colour at a Nigerian celebration where matching cloth shows the family you belong to.
What is changing
Brides wear colours other than white, rent or borrow dresses, restyle a mother's outfit, or wear trousers. Same-sex couples choose from every tradition. Fast fashion and sustainability concerns have pushed more people to rent or alter existing garments. Handloom weavers and embroiderers have also benefited from a renewed interest in heritage fabric.
About this page
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Wedding dress and clothing (kind of custom). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and 1 moreZuria
The ankle-length dress with woven hem bands worn by Tigrinya and Amhara women for weddings and holidays.Attire · The weeks before
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyWeddings in ancient Rome
The religious ceremonies and attire that marked a union in the city of Rome before the rise of Christianity.Rite · The weeks before
🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Mexico and 1 moreHuipilhuīpīlli
The traditional tunic worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Central America for weddings and daily life.Attire · The weeks before
🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreʻIe tōga
Prestige woven mats exchanged at Samoan weddings to honor family ties and chiefly status.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇩 IndonesiaUlosᯥᯞᯘᯬ᯲
The hand-woven textile that binds Batak couples in marriage and symbolizes warmth.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToe ring
A silver band worn on the second toe to mark a woman as married in India.Adornment · The ceremony
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 2 moreGeleGèlè
The towering Yoruba head tie that crowns the bride and marks her status on the wedding day.Attire · The weeks before
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreBaju Kurungباجو كوروڠ
The traditional blouse and skirt worn by Malay women for weddings and religious ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before
🇲🇱 MaliWeddings in Mali
Multi-day Malian wedding traditions blending Islamic rites, civil law, and local customs with bazin attire.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito
A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast
🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 2 moreOwanbeÓwàńbẹ̀
The extravagant Yoruba celebration where music, fashion, and money spraying mark life's milestones.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceLoutrophorosλουτροφόρος
An ancient Greek vessel that carried water for a bride's bath or marked an unmarried death.Attire · The weeks before
🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreMantilla
A lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders by women in Spain and Latin AmericaAttire · The weeks before
🇱🇦 Laos and 1 moreBaciບາສີ (Lao); บายศรี (Thai)
The wrist-tying ceremony that calls the soul back to restore balance and good luck.Blessing · The ceremony
🇮🇩 Palembang, Indonesia and 2 moreSongketᬲᭀᬂᬓᬾᬢ᭄
A hand-woven brocade cloth patterned with gold or silver threads for traditional weddings in Southeast Asia.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 Kanchipuram, IndiaKanchipuram silk sari
The heavy silk bridal garment woven in Kanchipuram with contrasting borders and gold zari.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreKente clothnwentoma
Hand-woven silk and cotton strips from Ghana that mark weddings and graduationsAttire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaMadisarமடிசார் (Madisar)
The nine-yard sari drape worn by Tamil Brahmin women during weddings and religious rites.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 Kochi, IndiaKasavuകസാവ്
The white cotton and gold border attire worn by Malayalis for weddings and festivals.Attire · The weeks before
🇮🇳 Bhuj, India and 1 moreBandhani
A traditional Indian tie-dye method that creates intricate dot patterns by binding small sections of cloth before dyeingAttire · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 Jodhpur, India and 1 moreAchkanअचकन (Hindi), اچکن (Urdu)
A long, side-fastening jacket worn by grooms and men at formal Indian weddings.Attire · The ceremony
🇳🇬 Iseyin, Nigeria and 2 moreAso okeAṣọ òkè
Hand-woven cloth worn by the Yoruba for weddings and formal gatheringsAttire · The ceremony
🇧🇳 Brunei and 2 moreTengkolokتڠكولوق
A folded songket headcloth worn by Malay and Indonesian grooms at weddingsAttire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaOonjal
A decorated swing where the Tamil bride and groom sit to receive family blessings.Blessing · The ceremony
🇺🇦 UkraineSong about the RushnykПісня про рушник (Pisnia pro rushnyk)
A Ukrainian song that celebrates the embroidered cloth used in weddings and family life.Performance · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreJokduri족두리
A traditional Korean coronet worn by women during weddings and other special occasions.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇩 IndonesiaBeskapꦧꦼꦱ꧀ꦏꦥ꧀
The formal black jacket worn by Javanese men during weddings and official ceremonies.Attire · The ceremony
🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaKarakou
A fitted velvet jacket from Algiers, embroidered with gold and silver thread for weddings.Attire · The ceremony
🇰🇿 KazakhstanBetasharбеташар
The lifting of the bride's veil by the groom's mother during a Kazakh wedding ceremonyRite · The ceremony
🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 3 moreAso ebiAsọ-Ẹbí
Matching outfits worn by groups to show solidarity at Yoruba weddings and other ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before
🇦🇹 Austria and 4 moreDirndl
The bodice, skirt and apron dress worn by brides in the German-speaking Alps.Attire · The ceremony
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreMarriage proposal
The moment one partner asks the other to marry them and marks the start of an engagement.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian
The turmeric paste ceremony held the day before Punjabi weddings in India and Pakistan.Rite · The weeks before
🇸🇩 Khartoum, SudanJirtigالجَرْتِقْ (Arabic)
A Sudanese inauguration ritual where the groom is symbolically crowned as a king.Rite · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding clothes
Traditional garments worn by Indian couples and guests across multiple days of celebrationAttire · The weeks before
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreNude wedding
A ceremony where the couple or guests participate without clothing.Modern · The ceremony
🇻🇳 VietnamTraditional Vietnamese weddingLễ cưới truyền thống Việt Nam
The multi-stage ceremony of betrothal, engagement and union that marks a marriage in Vietnam.Attire · Finding a match
🇮🇳 Hyderabad, IndiaKhara dupattaKhada dupatta (Urdu: کھڑا دوپٹہ)
The upright stole worn by Hyderabadi Muslim brides as part of their traditional wedding ensemble.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToporটোপর
The fragile white conical crown worn by the Bengali Hindu groom for luck.Attire · The weeks before
🇲🇳 MongoliaDeel
The traditional long robe worn by Mongol people for daily life and special occasions like weddings.Attire · The ceremony
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTraditional Chinese wedding dress
The wedding attire worn by Han Chinese couples, from the fengguan xiapei to the qunguaAttire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreBridal bouquet
The handheld flower arrangement carried by the bride during her wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇺🇬 UgandaGomesi
The floor-length traditional dress worn by women in Buganda and Busoga for weddings and formal events.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 Kanchipuram, India and 1 moreWedding sari
The traditional draped garment worn by brides in South Asia for their marriage ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLeirum Pheeꯂꯩꯔꯨꯝ ꯐꯤ
A traditional Meitei shawl given as a wedding gift from parents to daughtersAttire · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 ChinaHonggaitou紅蓋頭
The red bridal veil worn by Han Chinese brides to cover their faces before the wedding night.Attire · Procession and arrival
🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreChuppahחֻפָּה (ḥuppā)
The four-poster canopy that marks the Jewish wedding ceremony and symbolizes the couple's new home.Setting · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 morePyebaek폐백
A Korean post-ceremony ritual where the couple bows to the groom's parents and shares symbolic foods.Blessing · After the wedding
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Khara dupatta: Kinshuk Sunil, CC BY 2.0, source
- Jirtig: Alzain Mohammed, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mayian: Rakzika, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tengkolok: Riski Syahputra, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Beskap: Kris, Photographer of the Press, Media and Information Bureau of the P, Public domain, source
- Betashar: Steve Evans, CC BY 2.0, source
- Baju Kurung: Ministry of Information official photographer, Public domain, source
- Weddings in Mali: HawaG, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Loutrophoros: Picture taken by Marcus Cyron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Baci: Dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- Songket: Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
- Kanchipuram silk sari: McKay Savage, CC BY 2.0, source
- Kente cloth: ZSM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Xiuhefu: Tunere, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bandhani: RubyGoes, CC BY 2.0, source
- Aso oke: Wolf D., Public domain, source
- Jokduri: derivative work: Caspian blue ( talk ) Korean_dance-Jinju_pogurakmu-01, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Karakou: Bachounda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aso ebi: SUPREME LACE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- ʻIe tōga: Sarah Kelemen, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ulos: Boy Lawson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Toe ring: Wikiss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zuria: Kurt Bauschardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Gele: Royalesignature, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
- Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
- Dirndl: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
- Marriage proposal: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Indian wedding clothes: Lee Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Nude wedding: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, source
- Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
- Pyebaek: halfGoku, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Topor: Sumit Paul-Choudhury, CC BY 2.0, source
- Deel: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bridal bouquet: James Vick's Sons (Rochester, N.Y.); Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed, No restrictions, source
- Gomesi: sarahemcc, CC BY 2.0, source
- Wedding sari: Tarquin Binary, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Honggaitou: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
- Chuppah: me, Public domain, source