🇮🇳 India
A Hindu bride often wears red, maroon or gold in silk, such as a Banarasi or Kanjivaram sari, or a lehenga. Bengali brides wear red and white, and Kerala brides often wear a cream and gold kasavu sari.
Read: Wedding sariThe wedding dress and what the couple wear
What a couple wears to marry is one of the clearest signs of where, and with whom, they belong.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for couples, families, guests and the curious.
What a couple wears to marry is one of the clearest signs of where, and with whom, they belong. Red is the colour of luck across much of Asia, white is the Western choice since the nineteenth century, and the Ghanaian kente, the Scottish kilt and the Korean hanbok each carry a story. Garments are often inherited, borrowed or made by relatives, and may be the most expensive clothes a person ever wears.
Colour and meaning
Red stands for luck, joy and fertility in India, China, Vietnam and much of the Middle East, so brides wear red saris, lehengas, qipao and cheongsam, and guests avoid wearing it as outsiders to the family. White became the usual bridal colour in Britain and America after Queen Victoria married in a white gown in 1840, and has spread worldwide through film and magazines. In Japan a bride may begin in white, shiromuku, then change into a red or patterned kimono. Many cultures use several colours across the days: green and yellow for the henna and turmeric nights, gold for the ceremony.
The groom and the others
Grooms wear the sherwani and turban in North India, the dhoti and angavastram in the South, the barong Tagalog in the Philippines, the kilt in Scotland, the hanbok in Korea and the morning suit or dark suit in much of Europe. The couple's parents, attendants and guests often wear matching colours or fabrics. Family members may wrap the couple in a shawl, tie their garments together, or give them a cloth as a blessing, so clothing is part of the rite and not only the decoration.
Made by hand, passed down
Many wedding garments are textile heritage: the Kanjivaram and Banarasi saris of India, the piña cloth of the Philippines, the Hungarian Kalocsa embroidery, the Norwegian bunad with silver brooches, the Palestinian thobe stitched by the bride's female relatives. Family gowns and jewellery are altered for the next bride. Renting, borrowing and wearing a dress more than once are common in some places, and the resale and rental of gowns is growing.
How it is changing
Couples now mix: a white dress for the vows and a red outfit for the tea ceremony, or a sari with a veil. Dress codes include tailored suits for women and gowns for grooms. Sustainability and cost are pushing a rise in rented and second-hand outfits, and designers such as those who work in handloom revive local weaves. Because the clothes carry meaning for those who wear them, the choice is best left to the couple and their families.
The wedding dress and what the couple wear around the world
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
The Kandyan bride wears the osariya, a sari draped in a particular layered style, with ornate jewellery, and the groom wears a Kandyan costume with a long cloth and a decorated jacket. The bride and groom dress as if in the old royal court.
Read: Osariya🇵🇭 Philippines
The groom wears a barong Tagalog, a sheer embroidered shirt in pineapple or abaca fibre, over a white undershirt. The bride may wear a white gown or a terno with butterfly sleeves, with matching cloth cords, the yugal, drawn around the couple.
Barong Tagalog, being written🇨🇳 China
Red is the colour of the Han bride, who traditionally wore a phoenix crown and an embroidered robe, and later a qipao. Many couples today wear Western white for the ceremony and red for the tea.
Qipao, being written🇰🇷 South Korea
The couple wear hanbok for the pyebaek, the formal greeting to the groom's parents, the bride in red and yellow with a hwarot (ceremonial robe) and the groom in a blue or dark robe with a hat. A Western gown and suit for the main ceremony are now more usual.
Hanbok, being written🇯🇵 Japan
The shiromuku is a pure white kimono worn with a white headdress, the tsunokakushi or wataboshi. After the ceremony the bride changes to an uchikake, a heavily embroidered robe, often red, and then a Western gown at the reception.
Shiromuku, being writtenTraditions to start with
Wedding dressThe overview of bridal clothing.
Kente clothGhana's ceremonial woven cloth.
LehengaThe long skirt of the South Asian bride.Also part of it, and being written: Shiromuku (The Japanese white bridal kimono.), Hanbok (Korean traditional dress, worn at weddings.), Barong Tagalog (The Filipino groom's shirt.), Qipao (The Chinese one-piece dress.), Bunad (Norwegian regional costume.).
Questions people ask
Why do Western brides wear white?
White became the fashion after Queen Victoria wore it in 1840, and magazines and shops spread it. Earlier brides wore their best dress in any colour.
Why is red a wedding colour?
Across much of Asia, red stands for luck, joy and long life, so it is used for gowns, envelopes and decorations. It is also the colour of the bride's hands in many henna traditions.
Is the cost of a wedding dress a problem?
It can be, and many couples now rent, borrow, buy second-hand or have an keepsake altered. Costs differ widely by country and by family choice.
Can a guest wear white or red?
Customs vary. In many Western weddings guests avoid white, and in many Asian ones guests avoid red if they are not family. Checking with the hosts is the safest course.
About this page
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
The wedding dress and what the couple wear on EveryShaadi
The traditions written up so far, best known first.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreJokduri족두리
A traditional Korean coronet worn by women during weddings and other special occasions.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
🇨🇳 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
🇨🇳 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
🇲🇳 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 moreDaxiushan大袖衫
A traditional Chinese upper garment with wide sleeves worn by royal women for ceremonies.Attire · The ceremony
🇨🇳 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
🇨🇳 ChinaPhoenix crown凤冠 (Fèngguān)
A traditional Chinese bridal headdress adorned with pearls, gemstones and kingfisher feathers.Attire · The ceremony
🇨🇳 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
🇰🇷 South KoreaChaesang채상 (Chaesang)
Woven bamboo boxes used to store dowry items in traditional Korean weddingsGift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTuanshan團扇 (tuánshàn)
A rigid silk fan held by the bride to hide her face before revealing it to the groom.Adornment · The ceremony
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Tuanshan: 猫猫的日记本, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Xiapei: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Lehenga: Iwaqarhashmi, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
- Honggaitou: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hwarot: Unknown author, No restrictions, source
- Qungua: Fduyjfroea Homz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kente cloth: ZSM, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Wedding dress: Statens historiska museer, CC BY 2.5, source
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source