Wedding traditions with the colour white
White is so tied to the Western wedding that many people think it is the only wedding colour.
White is so tied to the Western wedding that many people think it is the only wedding colour. The custom is more recent and more varied than that, and white has a different meaning in other parts of the world.
How white became the fashion
Queen Victoria wore white lace at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, and the picture spread through magazines and department stores. White was a sign of wealth, since it was hard to keep clean, and later a symbol of purity, though the claim that white always stood for virginity is a modern simplification. Before that, brides wore their best dress in any colour.
White in other cultures
In Japan the shiromuku is white to show a bride who is ready to take on the colours of her husband's house. In many Buddhist and Chinese communities white is the colour of mourning, and a white wedding dress may be worn only for the photographs. In India some communities, such as Kerala Christians and Parsi brides, wear white or cream. In Western Christianity white is also the colour of baptism.
About this page
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on The colour white (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇯🇵 JapanTamagushitamagushi (玉串)
A decorated sakaki branch offered to kami during Shinto wedding ceremonies and other rites.Rite · The ceremony
🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreMantilla
A lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders by women in Spain and Latin AmericaAttire · The weeks before
🇱🇦 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
🇫🇯 FijiTabua
A polished sperm whale tooth exchanged as a gift in Fijian weddings and ceremonies.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreKente clothnwentoma
Hand-woven silk and cotton strips from Ghana that mark weddings and graduationsAttire · 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
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 2 moreKransekakekransekage
A towering almond ring cake central to Scandinavian wedding and holiday traditions.Feast custom · Reception, dance and gifts
🇪🇹 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
🇲🇦 MoroccoAhidusⴰⵃⵉⴷⵓⵙ (aḥidous)
A collective Berber dance from Morocco performed in circles or lines to celebrate unity and victory.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇹 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
🇰🇷 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
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChuraचूरा (Hindi)
The red and white bangles that mark a bride's new status in Indian Hindu weddingsAttire · The weeks before
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToporটোপর
The fragile white conical crown worn by the Bengali Hindu groom for luck.Attire · 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
🇬🇧 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
🇩🇪 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
🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreWedding cord
A satin loop placed around the couple to symbolize their lifelong union in Catholic weddings.Rite · The ceremony
🇹🇴 Tonga and 2 moreTaʻovala
The woven pandanus mat worn around the waist for formal occasions and weddings in Tonga.Attire · The weeks before
🇹🇴 TongaLakalaka
A formal Tongan group dance where performers stand in rows and move their arms to express respect.Performance · The ceremony
🇯🇵 JapanTsunokakushi角隠し
A white silk headdress worn by Shinto brides to cover the hairline and symbolize modesty.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
🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreKhata
A ceremonial scarf offered to show respect and welcome at weddings and other gatherings in Tibet and Nepal.Adornment · Reception, dance and gifts
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreTuroń
A horned effigy that visits homes during Carnival to wish for fertility and collect gifts.Blessing · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Polterabend: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Care cloth: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wedding cord: Phil! Gold, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Baci: Dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tabua: Hannes Grobe /AWI, CC BY 3.0, source
- Kente cloth: ZSM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tulasi Vivah: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- Kransekake: Kjetil Ree, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zuria: Kurt Bauschardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ahidus: Fotograaf / photographer: Drs. F.M. (Frits) Cowan (1931 - 2010), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
- Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
- Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Pyebaek: halfGoku, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Topor: Sumit Paul-Choudhury, CC BY 2.0, source
- Wedding veil: David Ring, CC0, source
- Tsunokakushi: Flickr user Photocapy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Khata: Wiki-uk, CC BY 3.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source
- Turoń: Museum: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków, CC0, source
- Tamagushi: Urashimataro, Public domain, source