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.
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.
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreJokduri족두리
A traditional Korean coronet worn by women during weddings and other special occasions.Attire · The ceremony
🇨🇳 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
🇨🇳 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
🇰🇷 South KoreaHwarot활옷
The embroidered Korean gown worn by brides during the pyebaek ceremony.Attire · Reception, dance and gifts
🇨🇳 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
🇨🇳 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
🇨🇳 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
🇰🇷 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
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTraditional Chinese wedding dress
The wedding attire worn by Han Chinese couples, from the fengguan xiapei to the qunguaAttire · 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
🇲🇳 MongoliaDeel
The traditional long robe worn by Mongol people for daily life and special occasions like weddings.Attire · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South KoreaDangui당의
A long upper garment worn by Korean brides over a chima and jeogori during the Joseon period.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
🇨🇳 ChinaZaju chuishao fu杂裾垂髾服
A layered hanfu style worn by elite Chinese women, featuring wide sleeves and flowing ribbon hems.Attire
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreXiapei霞帔
The embroidered scarf or waistcoat that marks a woman's status in Chinese and Korean weddingsAttire · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreDaxiushan大袖衫
A traditional Chinese upper garment with wide sleeves worn by royal women for ceremonies.Attire · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaPhoenix crown凤冠 (Fèngguān)
A traditional Chinese bridal headdress adorned with pearls, gemstones and kingfisher feathers.Attire · The ceremony
🇰🇷 Gwangju, South KoreaGeommu검무 (Geommu)
A graceful Korean sword dance performed with dual short swords and traditional musicPerformance
🇰🇷 South KoreaChaesang채상 (Chaesang)
Woven bamboo boxes used to store dowry items in traditional Korean weddingsGift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreCloud collar云肩 (yúnjiān)
A detachable shoulder collar worn by Han Chinese brides to frame the face and symbolize cosmic order.Attire · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Xiapei: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Zaju chuishao fu: Gary Todd, CC0, source
- Deel: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dangui: derivative work: Caspian blue ( talk ) Korean_royal_costumes-06.jpg :, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tsunokakushi: Flickr user Photocapy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Phoenix crown: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Geommu: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Honggaitou: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hwarot: Unknown author, No restrictions, source
- Qungua: Fduyjfroea Homz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cloud collar: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Jokduri: derivative work: Caspian blue ( talk ) Korean_dance-Jinju_pogurakmu-01, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Xiuhefu: Tunere, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Daxiushan: Zhou Fang, Public domain, source
- Fengguan xiapei: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Pyebaek: halfGoku, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chinese pre-wedding customs: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, CC0, source