Weddings are seen as the most important days of people’s life. Months of planning, preparation, detailing, efforts and sweat goes into turning a wedding into a grand event that it is. Every single detail plays an important role in a wedding. No matter how insignificant the detail might feel, if it goes wrong, the whole wedding might get affected. You have flowers, decorations, location, food, guests, seating arrangements and numerous other things to take care of. The list just keeps going on. But the most important of them all, has to be the wedding attire that is donned by the bride and the groom. It helps them stand out of the crowd. Their attire gives them a unique singularity, makes them special and signifies to the entire world, like a beacon on their head, that these are the people whose special day it is. Though the sentimentality and the sanctity of weddings remains the same throughout the world, the traditions revolving around them changes as you step out and so does the attire change along with it. Different cultures have different wedding attires, each one just as beautiful and enigmatic as the other.

10. Chinese

The traditional Chinese wedding attire is usually red in colour for both the bride and the groom, as red is considered as an auspicious colour, bringing good luck. In northern China, the wedding dress is a one-piece frock called the Qi Pao and is long and form fitting. The attire changes as you move southwards. The colour remaining intact the one piece frock becomes two pieced, with a long embroidered jacket and a long flowing skirt. This skirt and jacket combo is embroidered with a golden or a silver phoenix or the dragon. Though the traditional colour is red, brides now days are expanding their wedding colour palette and experimenting with blue hues as well. In very elaborate weddings, the bride often opts for a tiara like accessory made of gilded silver and decorated with feathers and pearls to represent a phoenix, making her look like a powerful princess.

9. African

The traditional African wedding attire is made of bright colours. Both the bride and the groom wear the same colours. Its often a white dress or a suite with a pop of bright colour like yellow or blue or green added to it. Its often bright colours embroidered or intermixed on white attire. The brides may often wear a dress or opt for the more traditional combo of wrap skirt called Iro, with a shawl called Iborum and a blouse called Buba. No matter what the pick, the dress is vibrant and colourful. It is accompanied by an eye catching head piece called the Gele.

8. Japanese

Traditional Japanese wedding attire is complete white in colour. The bride wears a white Shiromuku kimono, the white colour symbolising purity. This attire is accompanied by a headgear. There are two types of headgears, the wataboshi, a simple white headgear and the tsunokakushi, which serves to hide the brides “horns of jealousy” it also symbolises the wife’s intention to become a good and obedient wife. It is often said that the wataboshi is worn during the wedding and tsunokakushi during the reception, but generally the brides choose either of the headgear.  Sometimes the brides may have a small sword with them and a small box containing a comb and a mirror. They often also hold silver or a gold fan and wear white slippers.

7. Korean

The traditional Korean outfit is called the hanbok and is used for various important ceremonies and occasions including weddings. The hanbok consists of an upper garment that is full sleeved and covers the upper part of the body. It is accompanied by a long high-waisted skirt, which is generally of the wrap around type. The men wear a western style pant that is loose and not tight fitted. These attires are usually made of bright vibrant colours signifying the vivacious nature of the marriage ceremony. The women along with their traditional attire might also wear a long sleeved jacket with two ribbons tied in a bow. Korean weddings are colourfully bright events. It is often accompanied by an elaborate headgear, worn both by the bride and the groom.

6. Malaysian

The bridal wedding attire is called the baju kurung, which is a long sleeved blouse over a matching sarong.  This is complimented with a shawl or a headscarf to cover the hair. A crown is often placed over the headscarf to signify the importance of the day. The grooms wear the traditional Malayan outfit called the baju melayu which translates into long sleeved shirts and trousers. He also wears a head wear known as the Tanjak which is made of woven silk fabric and carries a dagger known as keris. The attire of the bride and the groom is colour co-ordinated.

5. Scottish

The brides in a Scottish wedding generally wear a long white, ivory or cream coloured gown, inspired more by modern trends. The traditional hints are the shawl around her shoulders or the sash around her waist. The dress might be embroidered with Celtic knotwork symbolizing eternal love. The grooms opt for a more traditional outfit, wearing the highland dress, complete with a jacket, waistcoat, kilt, tartan, black belt with a buckle, wing collar shirt, black or coloured bow tie. Safe to say the Scottish wedding attire is a harmonious blend of the traditional and the modern.

4. Irish

The Irish wedding attire is similar to that of any American Christian wedding. Blue is considered as an auspicious colour in Ireland and hence is incorporated by the bride in her wedding dress. While blue might be a good colour, green is seen as a bad omen, attracting the attentions of unwanted fairies and hence it is a colour which is kept away from weddings in the homeland of the Irish.

3. Hindu

The bride drapes a sari on her wedding day or wears a pair of Ghagra and choli, which is a blouse and a skirt adorned with a scarf on the head called dupatta. This traditional attire is generally red in colour as red is considered the most auspicious and pure colour. The sari is either plain or has heavy embroidery on it. The bride is adorned with a lot of jewellery, usually gold to go along with her sari. The grooms either wear a western suit or a traditional Sherwani or Jodhpuri suit sometimes accompanied by a turban.

2. Christian

These are the weddings we have seen immortalised in Hollywood movies several times. The bride wears a long white gown, which can be either form fitting or flow. This is often accompanied by a veil and a tiara with a bouquet of flowers in the hand. The groom is seen dressed in a smart three piece tuxedo, waistcoat with a bow tie.

1. Islamic

The traditional wedding attire for the bride is a long gown or a dress covering their arms and legs. It is often in light colours like white, cream, ivory or pink. It is accompanied by a headscarf or the hijab which covers the head and the ears. The wedding dress and the headscarf are dressy and heavily embroidery on it, leaving the brides looking elegant and sophisticated.