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.
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.
🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreCsárdás
A Hungarian folk dance that begins slowly and ends with a fast spin.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇳🇪 In-Gall, Niger and 2 moreGuérewol
A week-long courtship dance where Wodaabe men display their beauty to win the attention of marriageable women.Rite · The weeks before
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelTu B'Avט״ו באב
A minor Jewish holiday in Israel that serves as a popular day for weddings and matchmaking.Betrothal · 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
🇨🇱 Santiago, Chile and 3 moreCueca
A courtship dance from Chile and the Andes where couples trace circles with handkerchiefs to reenact a rooster and hen.Performance · The eve
🇲🇱 MaliWeddings in Mali
Multi-day Malian wedding traditions blending Islamic rites, civil law, and local customs with bazin attire.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇺🇦 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
🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito
A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast
🇧🇩 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
🇹🇴 TongaLakalaka
A formal Tongan group dance where performers stand in rows and move their arms to express respect.Performance · The ceremony
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇲🇷 MauritaniaT'heydinnالتهيدين (al-T'haydīn)
A Mauritanian Moorish epic performance of poetry and music kept by griot families.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇬🇷 Crete, GreeceSoustaΣούστα
A Greek courtship dance performed at weddings to display romance and agility.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇷🇴 Romania and 1 morePerinița
A Romanian circle dance where a pillow marks the last partner dance for unmarried youth before a wedding.Performance · The eve
🇬🇭 GhanaAdowa dance
A traditional Akan dance from Ghana that uses hand and foot movements to express emotions at weddings and other ceremoniPerformance · Procession and arrival
🇰🇷 South KoreaHahoe byeolsingut talnori하회별신굿탈놀이
A rare Korean masked dance-drama performed to appease the village deity Seonangsin in Hahoe.Rite · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Csárdás: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Guérewol: Dan Lundberg, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ahidus: Fotograaf / photographer: Drs. F.M. (Frits) Cowan (1931 - 2010), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source
- Hahoe byeolsingut talnori: Ian Sewell, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Adowa dance: Quami43, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cueca: Manuel Antonio Caro, Public domain, source
- Sousta: psyberartist, CC BY 2.0, source
- Weddings in Mali: HawaG, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source