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.
🇫🇷 FranceGarter toss
The groom removes the bride's garter and tosses it to unmarried men at the reception.Play · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇩 IndonesiaMinangkabau marriage
A matrilineal wedding tradition from West Sumatra where the groom moves into the bride's family home.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaOsariyaඔසරිය
The traditional sari style worn by Sinhalese women in Sri Lanka for weddings and formal events.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର)
The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇩🇪 Hanover, Germany and 5 moreBridal crownBrautkrone
A headdress worn by brides in Central and Northern Europe to symbolize purity and status.Attire · The ceremony
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShinto wedding神前結婚 (Shinzen kekkon)
A Shinto purification ritual featuring sake sharing and kimono attire held at a shrine or venue.Rite · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCare cloth
A linen or silk cloth held over the heads of a bride and groom during a Christian wedding blessing.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaSehraसेहरा (Hindi)
A floral or beaded veil tied to the groom's turban before he departs for the wedding ceremony.Attire · The weeks before
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreKetubahכְּתוּבָּה
The Jewish marriage contract that outlines the groom's financial and personal obligations to the bride.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationsNimantraṇa patra (निमन्त्रण पत्र)
Decorated cards sent to announce a marriage and invite guests to the celebration.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇲🇦 MoroccoTakchitaⵜⴽⵛⵉⵟⴰ (Berber) / تَكْشِيْطَة (Arabic)
A two-layered Moroccan wedding dress adorned with embroidery and traditional closures.Attire · The ceremony
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBou Bhatবউ ভাত
A feast hosted by the groom's family to welcome the bride into her new home.Feast custom · After the wedding
🇳🇬 NigeriaYoruba traditional weddingIgbeyawo
The multi-day Yoruba marriage ceremony featuring traditional attire, family introductions, and the Eru Iyawo gift list.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 ChinaXiuhefu秀禾服
A modern two-piece Chinese bridal outfit inspired by Qing dynasty styles and popularized by a 2001 television drama.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChuraचूरा (Hindi)
The red and white bangles that mark a bride's new status in Indian Hindu weddingsAttire · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaSakharpuda
The Maharashtrian engagement rite where sugar and coconuts seal a verbal promise between families.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWedding ring
A metal circle worn on the finger to show that a person is married.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese pre-wedding customs三書六禮 (sàam syù luhk láih)
The traditional betrothal rituals of the Book of Rites that prepare a Chinese marriage.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreLehenga
A long skirt worn as the base of a bridal outfit across the Indian subcontinent.Attire · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South KoreaHwarot활옷
The embroidered Korean gown worn by brides during the pyebaek ceremony.Attire · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 IndiaMeitei weddingLuhongba (ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ)
The traditional union of the Meitei people, marked by clan exogamy and specific courtship rituals.Rite · Finding a match
🇲🇦 Morocco and 1 moreBerberisca dresskeswa-el-kbira (الكسوة الكبيرة)
The gold-embroidered wedding gown of Moroccan Jews, rooted in Spanish royal style.Attire · The weeks before
🇹🇴 Tonga and 2 moreTaʻovala
The woven pandanus mat worn around the waist for formal occasions and weddings in Tonga.Attire · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreWedding dress
The ceremonial garment worn by the bride during her marriage rite.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWhite wedding
A formal Western ceremony marked by a white bridal gown and traditional Christian rituals.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇳🇬 NigeriaIgbo traditional marriageIgba Nkwu
The multi-stage Igbo marriage process that formalizes a union through family negotiations and the wine-carrying ceremonyRite · Finding a match
🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian weddingТрадиційне українське весілля
A multi-day sequence of folk rites, bread baking and church vows that marks the transition from maidenhood to married liRite · Finding a match
🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 1 moreVyshyvanka DayДень вишиванки
The annual celebration where people wear embroidered shirts to show national unity and identitySetting
🇳🇬 NigeriaLefe
The presentation of gifts from the groom to the bride in Hausa weddings.Gift custom · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaVadhuya
The cotton and wool bridal dress worn by brides in ancient India during the Vedic period.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaWedding mandapaVivaha Mandapa (विवाह मण्डप)
The temporary pavilion where Hindu and Jain couples exchange vows around a sacred fire.Setting · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaFengguan xiapei凤冠霞帔
The traditional Han Chinese wedding ensemble of a phoenix crown and embroidered robes worn by brides in the Ming and QinAttire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions
Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before
🇺🇸 United StatesNavajo wedding ceremony
A Navajo marriage ritual centred on harmony, family union, and nature inside a Hogan.Rite · The eve
🇲🇦 Tangier, MoroccoNegafanggafa (Tamazight); ziyyāna (Arabic)
The traditional Moroccan bridal dresser who manages the bride's appearance and wedding rituals.Attire · The weeks before
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 moreOchipokочіпок
The embroidered cap that covers a Ukrainian bride's hair to mark her new status as a married womanAttire · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South KoreaDangui당의
A long upper garment worn by Korean brides over a chima and jeogori during the Joseon period.Attire · The ceremony
🇨🇳 Guangdong, China and 2 moreQungua裙褂
A two-piece embroidered jacket and skirt worn by Cantonese brides for their wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 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
🇯🇵 JapanTsunokakushi角隠し
A white silk headdress worn by Shinto brides to cover the hairline and symbolize modesty.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreRing fingerdigitus annularis
The fourth digit of the hand where wedding and engagement rings are traditionally worn.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaLehenga-style sari
A pre-draped Indian wedding garment that combines the look of a lehenga with the drape of a sari.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreWedding veil
A cloth covering the head or face worn by brides and grooms to mark marriage.Attire · The ceremony
🇬🇧 United KingdomBoutonnière
A single flower or small arrangement pinned to the lapel of a groom's suit at a wedding.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 Madurai, IndiaGoluBommai kolu (Tamil), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), Gombe Habba (Kannada)
A tiered display of dolls and figurines arranged in South Indian homes during the Navaratri festival.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 2 moreKimeshekкимешек (Kazakh/Karakalpak), элечек (Kyrgyz)
The traditional white headgear worn by married women with children in Central AsiaAttire · 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
- Garter toss: MorningTea, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Minangkabau marriage: Mamasamala, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Osariya: Mr Anuradha Ratnaweera (අනුරාධ රත්නවීර මහතා), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bridal crown: Daderot, CC0, source
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Care cloth: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sehra: SynthContibutor, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ketubah: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Indian wedding invitations: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
- Takchita: Gerard Levy, France (Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Archive, courtesy of Gerar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yoruba traditional wedding: Fhadekhemmy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- Xiuhefu: Tunere, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Chinese pre-wedding customs: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, CC0, source
- Lehenga: Iwaqarhashmi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hwarot: Unknown author, No restrictions, source
- Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Wedding dress: Statens historiska museer, CC BY 2.5, source
- Igbo traditional marriage: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
- Vyshyvanka Day: Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, Public domain, source
- Lefe: Useendk, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding mandapa: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fengguan xiapei: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Golu: Ksiva21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Navajo wedding ceremony: Neeta Lind, CC BY 2.0, source
- Negafa: Amine.elbahij, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Dangui: derivative work: Caspian blue ( talk ) Korean_royal_costumes-06.jpg :, CC BY 2.0, source
- Qungua: Fduyjfroea Homz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding veil: David Ring, CC0, source
- Kimeshek: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kjfnjy/, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tsunokakushi: Flickr user Photocapy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Boutonnière: David Ring, CC0, source
- Ring finger: RAPMOODDE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source