10 Unique Wedding Wardrobes For the Bride From Around the World

While the wedding day may be the best-dressed day of a person’s life, style ideals differ from culture to culture. The following are 10 places around the world where the traditional customs, wardrobes and dresses for the wedding day are slightly different than in the U.S.

Despite the differences, the Menguin staff find these look extraordinarily cool and can’t wait until our next internetional wedding.

1. INDIA

Indians put on elaborate festivals and celebrations, but weddings are especially extravagant. From head to toe, the bride and groom are both decked out with pink or red clothing, jewelry, and even diamonds. Wedding guests also go out of their way to dress in their finest outfits.

2. NIGERIA

The Nigerian headdress, locally called a Gele, is beautiful and brightly colored. Like many of their African neighbors, the wedding celebrants in Nigeria wear brightly colored clothes and attire.

3. KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstani brides wear veils to cover their faces during the ceremony, which shouldn’t be considered so unusual. This is called a Saukele. The unusual thing about this wardrobe, however, is that it is often prepared for the bride while she is still a child — long before her marriage.

4. CHINA

Brides in China often have their wardrobes outfitted in all-red colors. This is because red usually stands for good luck in China. Another color that symbolizes good luck is brilliant gold. This is why you often won’t find Chinese brides and grooms wearing plain white or black. If you are ever attending the wedding of a Chinese friend, you should be sure to find out what colors are appropriate to wear to the ceremony. In fact, black and white commonly symbolize death in China.

Chinese gowns and wedding clothes are also often decorated or imprinted with mythological creatures for good luck and harmony. The most common are dragons and phoenixes, which stand for the mutual balance of male and female harmony.

5. YAKAN

This small ethnic tribe living on a southern island of the Philippines is largely Muslim. This makes them stand out from the rest of the country, which is predominantly Catholic. As a result, their wedding dresses are less Western-traditional. Their brides also like to wear beautiful, artistic face paint.

6. SCOTLAND

Most people are familiar with the kilts that Scotsmen wear — and they somehow manage to still seem so manly! During wedding ceremonies in Scotland, men wear kilts and women wear the colors of her future husband’s clan. This is to show how she is transitioning to becoming a part of his family.

7. HUNGARY

Many European countries reflect the harvest culture and seasons in their traditions. In this culture, the brides sometimes wear headdresses woven with stalks of wheat, as well as many layers of underskirts.

8. TURKMENISTAN

A forward-facing veil is also meant to stave off bad luck in this culture. It is a beautifully embellished veil, and is considered the highlight of the wedding.