Wedding traditions with the colour red

Red is the colour of weddings in much of Asia.

Red is the colour of weddings in much of Asia. It stands for luck, joy, fertility, life and protection, and in China, India, Vietnam and Korea it is the colour of the bride. In the West it is often avoided, which shows how much meaning a colour can carry.

Red in Asia

Chinese brides wear red qipao or qungua, the wedding hall is hung with red double-happiness characters, and guests give hongbao, red envelopes. Indian brides wear red lehengas or silk saris, and the sindoor in the parting of the hair is red. Vietnamese brides wear a red ao dai, and Korean brides wear red dots, yeonji gonji, on the cheeks. In Japan the uchikake may be red, and the bridal umbrella is also red.

Red elsewhere

Red also appears in Armenia, Georgia and Turkey, where the bride may be wrapped in a red veil or have a red ribbon tied at her waist, called the kirmizi kusak in Turkish custom. In the Balkans red and white cloth were used in traditional dress, and in Central Asia red wedding robes and headdresses were common. In Europe white took over in the nineteenth century.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on The colour red (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreʻIe tōga Prestige woven mats exchanged at Samoan weddings to honor family ties and chiefly status.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLaavaanਲਾਵਾਂ ਫੇਰੇ (Lavan) The four sacred hymns sung during the Anand Karaj that guide a Sikh couple through spiritual stages of married life.Rite · The ceremony

🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanMizuhiki水引 The knotted paper cord that adorns Japanese wedding gifts and envelopesAdornment · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 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

🇳🇬 Iseyin, Nigeria and 2 moreAso okeAṣọ òkè Hand-woven cloth worn by the Yoruba for weddings and formal gatheringsAttire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha) A symbolic Hindu wedding uniting the holy basil plant with a stone representing Vishnu.Rite · The weeks before 🇺🇦 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

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreRushnykрушник (Ukrainian), ручнік (Belarusian), ручник/рушник (Russian) The embroidered linen cloth that marks life stages and guides the couple through the wedding ceremony in East Slavic culAdornment · The weeks before

🇲🇦 Imilchil, MoroccoImilchil Marriage FestivalAgdoud N'Oulmghenni A Berber marriage festival in Morocco where tribes gather to arrange unions and celebrate with music and dance.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 3 moreAso ebiAsọ-Ẹbí Matching outfits worn by groups to show solidarity at Yoruba weddings and other ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before

🇮🇩 IndonesiaUlosᯥᯞᯘᯬ᯲ The hand-woven textile that binds Batak couples in marriage and symbolizes warmth.Attire · The ceremony 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreRed Thread of Fate姻緣紅線 An invisible cord that links destined lovers across time and distance.Blessing

🇪🇹 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

🇳🇬 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

🇮🇹 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

🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreCsárdás A Hungarian folk dance that begins slowly and ends with a fast spin.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts 🇮🇳 IndiaMadisarமடிசார் (Madisar) The nine-yard sari drape worn by Tamil Brahmin women during weddings and religious rites.Attire · The ceremony

🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreBaju Kurungباجو كوروڠ The traditional blouse and skirt worn by Malay women for weddings and religious ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before 🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast

🇱🇦 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

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMaithil Vivahमैथिल विवाह The arranged Hindu marriage of Maithils in the Mithila region, guided by Vedic texts and local customs.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreKente clothnwentoma Hand-woven silk and cotton strips from Ghana that mark weddings and graduationsAttire · The ceremony

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMizmarمزمار (mizmār) A loud double reed instrument played at weddings and festivals across Egypt and the Levant.Performance · Procession and arrival 🇮🇳 Kochi, IndiaKasavuകസാവ് The white cotton and gold border attire worn by Malayalis for weddings and festivals.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreHandfastingceangal na lámh (Irish); pòsadh-bliadhna (Scottish Gaelic) A pledge ceremony where a couple joins hands to make a binding marriage contract or engagement.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ The turmeric ceremony that prepares the Bengali bride and groom for marriageRite · The weeks before

🇮🇳 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 🇮🇳 Goa, IndiaHaldi Kumkum A gathering of married women in southern India who exchange turmeric and vermilion to celebrate their status.Blessing

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali Muslim weddingবাঙালি মুসলিম বিয়ে A multi-day Bengali Muslim marriage blending Islamic rites with local folk traditions.Rite · The weeks before

🇫🇷 Paris, FranceGlobe de mariée A glass bell jar used in France to hold the bride's bouquet and preserve family memories.Adornment · The weeks before

🇯🇵 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

🇮🇳 IndiaMehndi The henna body art applied to brides and guests before a South Asian wedding ceremony.Adornment · The weeks before

🇰🇷 South KoreaHwarot활옷 The embroidered Korean gown worn by brides during the pyebaek ceremony.Attire · Reception, dance and gifts

🇯🇵 JapanShūgi-bukuro祝儀袋 The decorative envelope used to present monetary gifts at Japanese weddings and celebrations.Gift custom · Reception, dance and gifts

🇮🇳 Mumbai, India and 3 moreDowry system in Indiaदहेज (Hindi), ज़ेहर (Urdu) The transfer of cash and goods from the bride's family to the groom that has become a source of financial strain and vioGift custom · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaGana A sacred red thread tied to wrists for protection during wedding rituals in parts of India.Adornment · The weeks before 🇮🇳 IndiaTelugu Hindu weddingతెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక A multi-day Telugu Hindu marriage marked by seven vows around fire and family rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇩🇪 Germany and 5 morePolterabend The evening before the wedding when guests break porcelain to bring luck and test the couple's teamwork.Blessing · The eve

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Jirtig: Alzain Mohammed, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Polterabend: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mayian: Rakzika, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gana: William J Sisti, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Globe de mariée: Alain Amet, CC BY 4.0, source
Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mehndi: AKS.9955, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Shūgi-bukuro: Nesnad, CC BY 4.0, source
Dowry system in India: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Baju Kurung: Ministry of Information official photographer, Public domain, source
Baci: Dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Songket: Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
Maithil Vivah: Sntshkumar750, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kente cloth: ZSM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mizmar: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Laavaan: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
Mizuhiki: User:FA2010, Public domain, source
Bandhani: RubyGoes, CC BY 2.0, source
Aso oke: Wolf D., Public domain, source
Tulasi Vivah: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Imilchil Marriage Festival: Zakaria ElQotbi, CC BY 2.0, 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
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
Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
Csárdás: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Gaye holud: Arr4, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Hwarot: Unknown author, No restrictions, source