Brides have mesmerized the world throughout centuries, across countries and religions. The jewelry, the clothing, the magic in the air. Growing up in Brazil, I’ve never imagined how beautiful and diverse wedding dresses around the world could be, going far beyond the traditional white dress.
I’m already passionate about ethnic clothes from different countries, but recently, checking wedding dresses from around the world has become nearly an obsession. Therefore, I’ve decided to share it with you!
South Korea
South Korean tradtional dress is called hanbok. The literal translation of hanbok means “Korean clothing”, even though the word today refers to the type of clothing worn during the Joseon dynasty. Although we’ve seen many websites mention hanbok as the Korean wedding dress, we learned that there is a distinction between hanbok and hwarot.
The hanbok is the traditional Korean clothes worn in special occasions. It consists of the jeogori (a shirt or jacket) paired with a chima dress, which is a long wrap-around skirt. Bright colors are worn by children and young people, whereas pastel shades are the colors for middle-aged men and women.
Hwarot, the Korean wedding dress, also from the Joseon dynasty. It is an embroidered long robe with elaborate embroidery and long, wide sleeves to cover the bride’s hands. It’s typically red on the outside, and blue inside, to symbolize the yin and yang of the relationship between husband and wife. Due to its cost, the hwarot is usually passed onto generations.
INDIA
Of course, a post about wedding outfits wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Indian brides. Everyone who travels to India has a dream of attending an Indian wedding, and with good reason! Not only the celebration can last up to a week, but the clothes, food, decor and traditions make it an unforgettable experience!
Traditional Indian clothes vary according to the region of the country. In South India, for instance, the traditional saree is the norm, matched with beautiful fresh jasmine flowers on the hair and heavy gold jewelry, such as long necklaces.
In North India, on the other hand, brides traditionally wear a bridal lehenga, a 3 piece outfit made of a very flare skirt called lehenga, a cropped top called choli, and a matching dupatta scarf.
NIGERIA
Another culture that is incredibly diverse is Nigerian. Different states carry their own culture and traditions, and of course, this reflects on wedding clothes. In Nigeria, there are several functions in weddings, each one requiring a different type of dress.
Bella Jaila is an incredible website that features real Nigerian weddings. Most of the photos of Nigerian wedding dresses featured here are from this website. We encourage everyone to check them out for more inspirations on incredible Nigerian weddings.
It’s common for Nigerian brides to wear the geles on their heads, a scarf or fabric folded into an ornate shape.
MOROCCO
The traditional Moroccan weddings also used to last up to 7 days, with parties being held at the bride and groom’s houses before the big day. Nowadays, they typically lasts for 3 days, and the henna tattoos also play a big part of the Moroccan tradition, just like in India. The bride and groom change clothes several times on the main day of the wedding.
One of the bride’s dresses is the takchita. It is the Moroccan type of kaftan, traditionally worn in weddings. The takchita is composed of two pieces. The first layer, called “Tahtia”, is a not decorated dress. The second layer, with buttons in the front, is called Dfina, often embroidered with beads or sequins.
Russia
The traditional Russian wedding can last from 2 days to upto a week. Russian wedding usually starts from the ring ceremony or the ring exchange ceremony among the couple. Russian wedding receptions are amazingly filled with several beautiful rituals, one of the ritual is that the newlyweds kiss for the longest time, after the wedding, in order to “sweeten the wine” and if they kiss not long enough, the guests can shout saying “the wine is still bitter.” Isn’t it a cute ritual?
In Russian weddings the maid of honor and the best man are called witnesses or Свидетели (svideteli) in russian.
Ghana
If you love bright colours and simple but unique designs, Ghana wedding outfits are for you to look for. Ghanian People are known for their simplicity. And also they are conservative when it comes to occasions like wedding. Their wedding outfit is inspired from their lifestyle. More natural and simple outfit along with some traditional handmade jewellery.
Also, whether you are rich or not, you don’t have to worry about your wedding outfit. Just buy a good length of Kente fabric from the market and you are good to bring your wife home. The colours may vary but the way it is worn is very similar.
Do let us know if you know of other traditional wedding dress from around the world and please leave us a comment if you like the article.
