The colour red in wedding traditions around the world

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.

Photo credits on this page

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

Landshut Wedding: Oktobersonne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Imilchil Marriage Festival: Zakaria ElQotbi, CC BY 2.0, source

Adumu: K15photos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Botides: Gkaridis0, CC BY 4.0, source

Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Ghoomar: Aali Jain, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Wedding traditions with the colour red

Red in Asia

Red elsewhere

Photo credits on this page

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