Looking at an article of wedding dresses around the globe I came across a list with different traditional dresses around the world! I was not only impressed but in love with these gorgeous and colorful wedding dresses, I learned that by tradition many brides use colors, veils in different ways, that each country has a meaning and so many traditions around a wedding dress;
These dresses are not only beautiful to the eyes BUT also to the soul once you find out the meaning of each item, and color chosen by that culture, once you start reading about this you will be blown away by such a wonderful pallet of colors and beliefs,
Here is just a very small list of my favorites, but if you are getting married make sure you look at other countries for great & meaningful wedding ideas!
- Nigeria- brides in Nigeria stand out for using lace blouses in bright colors and beautiful caftans made in Indian fabrics, they also add shell necklaces and a “Gele” which is their head tie.
- Japan- a traditional bride will wear pure white kimono for the formal ceremony and an ornament in her head called “tsunokakushi” which hides the jealousy and symbolizes purity and maidenhood. The bride may change into a red kimono for the events after the ceremony for good luck.
- Korea- in Korea the bride use a dress called “Hanbok” It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means “Korean clothing”, hanbok today often refers specifically to clothing of theJoseon period and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals and celebrations. cotton and Silk are the main fabrics used for this gorgeous colorful dresses.
- Tibet- the bride traditionally wears a white, woolen wedding dress, although this may be heavily layered with aprons and robes of bright colors and ornate embellishment – so much so that it can be hard to spot the white dress beneath! In some areas, it’s tradition for the groom to have sent the bride the gift of her outfit, complete with headdress, for her to wear on the day for example the most traditional are silver coins for the bride’s hair or a Buddha amulet.
- India- Red wedding “Saris” are the traditional garment choice for brides in Indian culture. Sari fabric is also traditionally silk. Over time, color options and fabric choices for Indian brides have expanded. Today fabrics like crepe, Georgette, charmeuse, and satin are used, and colors have been expanded to include gold, pink, orange, maroon, brown, and yellow as well. Indian brides in Western countries often wear the sari at the wedding ceremony and change into traditional Indian wear afterwards.
- Nubia- A Nubian bride will be using a colorful scarf to cover her head, a transparent veil to cover her face and on top of that another veil to cover the head again! Beautiful isn’t?
Hoping to get you inspired as much as I was at the moment of reading this, best wishes from Paradise!
~Doranna de Bortoli
Wedding Hairstylist & Makeup Artist
Riviera Maya- Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Puerto Aventuras, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Cancun