Traditional Chinese Wedding Dresses - China culture Traditional Chinese Wedding Dresses Traditional Etiquette and Taboos There are mainly three kinds of etiquettes in China. The first category is the daily life... It is being said that marriage is fixed at the heaven and we humans are just like a puppet that walk through the path of life to finally choose our partners. Since ages, marriage is considered a very sacred ritual where a girl and a boy tie their knot and wish to spend rest of their life together. Regardless of the country or religion a person belongs, marriage is the most memorable and precious moment of his life. Marriage custom and tradition varies a lot from place to place. People from different country have some of their own way to arrange a marriage. Some of the custom that is commonly prevalent in most of the culture across the world are special wedding dress for bride and groom, wedding cake, wedding ring, wedding flowers, wedding songs etc. Wedding dress is given the utmost importance so as to impart the most unique appearance to the couple. Traditional Chinese Wedding Dresses and Rituals Chinese wedding dresses have attained world wide fame because of its antique and artistic embroidery. Rituals preceding the Chinese wedding are devoted to its ancient culture and tradition which is still prevalent in China.

These rituals have its deep impact on the wedding dress of bride and groom. It is believed that wedding dress should never reflect black, blue or gray color as it may bring sorrow to their married life. Red and white are the two most prominently used colors in Chinese wedding dress. Red color is considered as the symbol of love and prosperity; hence most of the dresses include red as their base color. Even the candles, flowers, ribbons and fireworks, all used in red. Chinese Wedding Dresses Design These days some of the most exclusive wedding design includes expensive and precious work of gold and silver thread all across the borders. Skilled craftsmen are hired to impart artistic embroidery work with these gold and silver threads. Qi Pao is a one-piece frock that is the choice of young age brides in China. Traditional wedding dresses include two-piece dress named as Gua, Kwa or the Chengsam. These dresses are mostly prominent in brides from southern China. Traditionally wore wedding dresses for both men and women include Chengasm with dragon and phoenix design. Dragon is the symbol of power and is worshipped by Chinese since ancient time. The combination of dragon and phoenix symbolizes the balance of male and female power.

Black silk coat decorated with dragon robe is the typical wedding dress for groom. Most of such traditional dress designs are believed to be inherited from the time of Qing dynasty which has been the last dynasty of China. A Modern Chinese Treatment Recently, the taste of youth has changed a bit and they even prefer to wear more simple and sober set of coat without any robe or hat. It has been a trend now a day to change the outfit twice or thrice over the night. It is considered a status symbol of a family, more are the dresses more sophisticated is the family. Besides these eye catching wedding costumes, a Chinese wedding dress also include complex but elegant headdress. Brides are adorned with such an exclusive hairstyles which adds up to their beauty even more. Hair designers are given special training before they could be a perfect head dresser for a bride. Sometimes the hairstyle is so complicated and heavy that bride could do nothing but to keep his head straight so as to maintain the balance. Such a headdress is also an outcome of ancient Chinese culture. Earlier it was a tradition that bride would first look at her husband only on their betrothal bed.

In this world of modernization, people don't prefer to follow all the culture and rituals as such even the Chinese bride could be sometimes seen in western outfit of white gown with a scarf and a formal black suit. search Chinese Wedding Traditions - The Colors Chinese Wedding Traditions - The Colors Eighteen Oddities in Yunnan Yunnan used to be an isolated frontier region in China. Yet, 25 ethnic minority groups reside... The color red plays a vital role in the wedding festivities of the Chinese people. Red is considered by then as a bold and lucky color. In addition to this, the color signifies love, prosperity and happiness; therefore, everything is in red - wedding invitations, gift envelopes and the bride's wedding dress. It is also important that the symbol for double happiness is placed on Chinese invitations, envelopes and wedding decorations, and accessories. Wedding Dress Traditional Colors | Celebration Advisor - Wedding and Party Network Blog by Leigh Morrisett Wedding Dress Traditional Colors Wedding dresses have been worn by brides in some form or fashion since weddings began. But why is white the color most often chosen in western weddings? Why do others cultures use red for wedding dresses? Both are interesting questions.

To learn more about the color tradition of wedding dresses, we can start with our western culture and move around the globe. Western Culture Prefers White Wedding Dresses White wedding dress became fashionable when Queen Victoria wed in 1840. White wedding dresses were reserved for the elite, as they couldn't be worn again or washed. Less fortunate brides would wear white but then dye them another color or forgo a wedding dress — marrying in everyday clothes. As time went on, the white wedding dress became the symbol for virginity and/or purity. Christian cultures have perpetuated the tradition. Eastern Cultures Prefer Red Wedding Dresses Red, Silver, White and Gold Play A Large Part in Asian Wedding Dresses. Red or brightly colored shades of red are common in Asian (China, Japan, Vietnam, etc.) weddings dresses. In China, wedding dresses are embroidered with dragon and phoenix symbols on red fabric with silver, white and gold threading. The phoenix and dragon are symbols of male and female. In Japan, the bride wears a traditional white Kimono, but then changes into a red one (symbolizing good luck) after the wedding ceremony.

Red, Gold and White Are Wedding Dress Color Choices For Indian Brides With a heavy Hindu base, bridal attire in Indian is usually some shade of red. In fact, the prominent colors for Hindu brides are a combination of red, gold and white. However, bridal attire can vary by the region. Gold Is The Delight Of Egyptian Brides Egyptian bride wear gold or gold embellished wedding dresses. The dresses tend to be white linen with gold threading. On certain occasions, the dress is embellished with silver thread. Every cultural has a rich and deep symbolism related to color. Wedding dress color takes it que from these long standing traditions. As the world's cultures met so do their customs and traditions. In our western culture, we are seeing brides mix color styles from other cultures into their wedding dress selections. It is truly a global world in which we live. Brides today have the flexibility to add color to their white wedding dress. So think outside of the traditional white wedding dress. Wedding and Party Network, your number one wedding planning resource has a few examples of colorful wedding dresses below. Chinese Wedding Dress part of the elaborate Chinese wedding costume. Chinese Wedding Dress The color red is considered good luck, a strong color that can keep away evil spirits.

The traditional Chinese wedding dress in northern China usually is one-piece frock named Qi Pao, embroidered with elaborate gold and silver designs. Brides from southern China usually wear two-piece dress named Qun Gua, Kwa or Cheongsam, also elaborately adorned with golden phoenix and dragon. In the old days, a piece of red veil is part of the bride's costume to cover her face during the wedding ceremony. Newlyweds would see each other's face for the first time on their wedding night. Complete Guide to Chinese Wedding - ChinaBridal.com Complete Guide to Chinese Wedding Printer Friendly Chinese wedding culture is a vital part of Chinese tradition. Many rituals and customs have been lost in course of history, but many are observed even today. It is practiced in honor of family value and respect to committed relationship, the holly marriage. We offer this printer-friendly version of a complete guide to Chinese wedding in hope you could print it and read it at your convenience. Blue color text is hyperlinks which will leads to that particular ritual or product and service. Chinese Wedding Customs and Rituals Before the Wedding Proposal & Betrothal In Chinese Culture, a marriage is considered the joining of two families.

Thus the parents of the bride's and groom's get involved in their wedding planning from very early on. Two families pick an auspicious date as the Betrothal Day. This is a formal meeting between the parents of the perspective bride and groom. The groom's family presents various proposal gifts that represents fertility and prosperity in Chinese culture, which is also known as " Grand Gift " or "Guo Da Li". All gifts should come in even numbers, meaning "good things double" in Chinese culture. Thus, the two are considered officially engaged. Chinese Wedding Cakes After the betrothal meeting, both families will make wedding announcement to their relatives and friends by sending out " Double Happiness Cakes " along with wedding invitations. This is the Chinese style wedding cakes also known as "Dragon & Phoenix Cakes". These are baked cake with dragon and phoenix imprint on the surface. Some styles have fillings made of lotus seed paste, red bean paste or green bean paste. The wedding cakes are usually presented to the bride's family by the groom's family as part of the proposal gift. Bride's family will then present some of the cakes to worship their ancestors and send the rest of cakes to friends and relatives along with wedding invitations.

Quantity of cakes to be sent depends on seniority of guest or relationship with the family. Nowadays, the wedding cakes are usually served to the guests at the wedding instead of the western style wedding cakes. Chinese Wedding Dowry The bride's family then prepares dowry and give a list of the dowries to the groom's family. Dowry is mostly composed of daily necessities for the new home, such as bedding, linen and dining set, etc. In the old Chinese culture, girls start learning needle work at young age, and prepare plenty of shoes, socks, table cloth etc, as part of her dowry. This is also an opportunity for the bride's family to display their love for their daughter as well as their wealth. Bridal Bed Setting (An Chuang) Ritual. A few days before the wedding, the bride's family send dowry to the groom's family, or the couple's new home nowadays. The groom's family will invite a respected female relative or friend to "set the bridal bed" at the new home. In some part of China in the old days, a unmarried young boy will be invited to sleep in the bridal bed the night before the wedding to bring fertility to the newlyweds.

Chinese Wedding Decorations The two families decorates the bridal house and the reception site for the upcoming wedding ceremony. Lots of lively colors, red in particular, is used in Chinese wedding decoration. Red banners used for wedding is called " happiness banners ", which is an essential part of the wedding decorations. It's decorated on both sides of the doors of the newlywed's home and the reception site. The Chinese writing on the banners are rhythmic poem praising the adorable couple and the perfect marriage. Papercut of Double Happiness, dragon and phoenix are widely used at Chinese wedding. Wedding Day Ceremony In the morning of the wedding day, "hair dressing" (Shang Tou) ritual is performed for the bride. A "good luck woman", woman with living parents, spouse and children, will come to help dressing up the bride's hair. The woman should also say auspicious words while tying up her hair in a bun, a style of married woman. The groom's family perform " capping " (Jia Guan) ritual for the groom at their home. These rituals in Chinese culture symbolize that they are entering adulthood.

Chinese Wedding Door Game Then the groom sets out to the bride's home, and he will inevitably be blocked at her door by her friends, and the bridesmaids will play door game with the groom and his attendants. Door game originated from ancient time which implies that the bride is a lovely girl and her family and friends do not want to marry her away. The groom will be blocked at the bride's door, and her friends will try to stop him from entering by asking questions about the bride, a way to test if he really cares about her. They may also do other tricks to delay the bride's leaving. The groom will try to buy his way in by presenting "Li Shi", token money wrapped in red envelops. Door game is a joyous and good-natured "bargain" game essential in Chinese wedding. When the bride finally goes out to ascend the car, a bridesmaid will hold a red umbrella over her head, meaning "raise the bark, spread the leaves." Other relatives will scatter rice, red bean and green bean on her. The red umbrella protects the bride from evil spirit, and the rice and beans are to attract the attention of the gold chicken.

When the bridal sedan, equivalent of motorcade nowadays, arrives the groom's home, firecrackers and music with gongs and drums greets the bride. The bride will leap over a iron basin with lit charcoal inside. It is a ritual to bring prosperity and keep evils away. Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony Then at the official ritual that equals to the wedding vow in western wedding, the newlyweds kneel three times, to the heaven and earth, to the ancestral tablets and their parents, then to each other. The kneeling part has been replaced with bowing in modern Chinese wedding. The bride then present tea to the parents and relatives in sequence of seniority. Those who receive the tea usually give the bride gifts such as jewelry or Li Shi money wrapped in red envelope . Thus it's the end of the ritual and the wedding proceeds to the banquet venue. Chinese Wedding Food Certain types of food are commonly served at the Chinese wedding banquet, which include fish, roast suckling pig, pigeon, chicken cooked with red oil, lobster and desert bun with lotus seeds stuffed inside. The pronunciation of fish is the same as "abundance", meaning the newlyweds will have plentiful of wealth.

Roast suckling pig is usually served whole, a symbol of the bride's purity (virginity). Pigeon implies peaceful future. Chicken also means phoenix, cooked in red oil to symbolize the wish for a prosperous life ahead for the newlyweds. Lobster is literally called "dragon shrimp" in Chinese. Having lobster and chicken together at wedding banquet indicates that the dragon and the phoenix are hormones together, and the Yin and Yang elements in this family is balanced. Most oriental caterers can give you an idea of the menu. Chinese Wedding Dress The color red is considered good luck, a strong color that can drive away evil spirits. The traditional Chinese wedding dress in northern China usually is one-piece frock named Qi Pao, embroidered with elaborate gold and silver designs. Brides from southern China usually wear two-piece dress named Qun Gua, Kwa or Cheongsam, also elaborately adorned with golden phoenix and dragon. In the old days, a piece of red veil is part of the bride's costume to cover her face during the wedding ceremony. Newlyweds would see each other's face for the first time in their lives at their wedding night.

In modern Chinese wedding, the bride changes dresses at least 3 times at the wedding day. She would start with western style white wedding gown for a church for civil ceremony. Then at the tea ceremony, she would change to traditional Chinese bridal dress , which she will wear to the reception too. Before the end of the banquet, she would change into a cocktail dress , and great the guests, and then see them off at the door, thus this dress is also called "Song Ke" (See Guests Off) dress. Chinese Wedding Night Ritual The night of the wedding, the bridal room will lit dragon and phoenix candle to drive away the evil spirit. This is a Chinese version of unity candle. The newlyweds will drink wine from two cups tied together with a red string, arms crossed from each other. This is the formal wedding vow in Chinese culture. Then the bride will be offered dumplings that's boiled half-raw. The pronunciation of "raw" is the same as giving birth to children, a indication of family prosperity. Post-wedding Customs The next morning of the wedding, the bride should get up early and make a meal for the groom's family to demonstrate that she is well-nurtured.

Three days after the wedding, the groom and bride will go back to visit the bride's parents. Frequently Asked Questions by Bride and Groom at Chinese Wedding Q: When should I start preparing for my wedding? A: You should start preparing 6 months before the wedding. Since marriage in Chinese culture is considered the joining of two families, you need to arrange a proposal and betrothal meeting for parents from both families. You will also need to make arrangement for wedding gown, banquet venue or church if you so choose... More at Check List >>> Q: How do I choose an auspicious wedding date? A: You should choose a even number date for the wedding. The more even numbers the merrier, e.g., Saturday, October 28, 2004. Sometimes, people choose date with special meaning, e.g. lunar calendar September 9th is a festival for family reunion, and the Nine means "forever"...Sign up for China Bridal Newsletter...>>> Q: I want to have a Chinese wedding, but my in-laws are Christians, how can I combine a church wedding with a traditional Chinese wedding?

A: In modern China, more and more young couples favor a church wedding for its solemn surrounding and the holly wedding vow. You may combine the two styles together and cater to both families. First, perform traditional Chinese rituals at home, e.g., hair-dressing ritual, tea ceremony, etc. Then after the bride has served tea to her in-laws and bowed to the ancestral tablets, proceed to the church to exchange wedding vows. After the banquet, you can continue to have the traditional bridal chamber party at the wedding night... More at Wedding Procession...>>> Q: How many dresses should I prepare for my wedding, and what kind of dresses do I need? A: The bride change dresses a few times during the wedding while the groom changes once or does not change. In the morning, the bride is usually dressed in traditional Chinese wedding gown. She won't change until after she has served tea to her in-laws. Then she changes to western style white wedding gown for the ceremony in which the newlyweds will bow to the heaven and the earth, the ancestor's tablets and to each other. At the wedding banquet, the bride changes to a formal day time gown, and the newlyweds will serve wine to every guests at the wedding.

The last one is a night gown she wears when she sees the guests off at the end of the banquet. The groom usually is dressed in a Chinese men's traditional gown in the morning, then change to cocktail suit before the banquet.. It is also acceptable to wear a formal suit instead of cocktail suit... More at Chinese Wedding Dresses...>>> Q: Some of the Grand Gifts are hard to find, can I substitute with something else? A: Generally speaking, you can always substitute Grand Gifts with cash, particularly named Li Shi, usually wrapped in red envelope. The Li Shi money usually comes in $99 or $999, as the pronunciation of Nine is the same as "long and forever." However, presentation of Grand Gifts is a symbolic gesture of appreciation to the bride's family for raising her and marrying her away. Many traditional gift shops have Grand Gifts items in stock... More at Gift Shops...>>> Q: Is there any formal wedding vow in Chinese wedding? A: There is no formal wedding vow in Chinese culture. The closest ritual is to have the newlyweds drink wine from two cups that are tied together by a red string. The newlyweds cross their right arms and drink at the same time.

That's considered the gesture of binding commitment by the two... More at Wedding Day Rituals...>>> Q: What is the Tea Ceremony at a wedding reception? A: The Tea Ceremony is when the bride arrives the groom's home, and serve tea to her new in-laws. She will hold the tea cup with both hands, kneel in front of her parents-in-law, and serve it. After the groom's parents, she will serve tea to every one on the occasion, with a sequence of seniority. Those who accepted the tea are supposed to give her gift such as Li Shi money or gold and jade jewelries wrapped in red envelope... Prepare gifts for the bride...>>> Q: What is the appropriate wedding banquet menu? How can I explain the meaning of the dishes to non-Chinese guests? A: Certain foods must be served at wedding, which include fish, roast suckling pig, pigeon, chicken cooked with red oil, lobster and desert bun with lotus seeds stuffed inside. The pronunciation of fish is the same as "abundance", meaning the newlyweds will have plentiful of wealth. Roast suckling pig is usually served whole, a symbol of the bride's virginity. Pigeon implies peaceful future.

Chicken also means phoenix, cooked in red oil to symbolize the wish for a prosperous life ahead for the newlyweds. Lobster is literally called "dragon shrimp" in Chinese. Having lobster and chicken together at wedding banquet to indicate that the dragon and the phoenix are hormones together, and the Yin and Yang elements in this family is balanced... Most important of all, do not forget to serve Chinese Dragon and Phoenix wedding cakes...>>> Frequently Asked Questions by Guests to a Chinese Wedding Q: I am invited to a Chinese wedding, what gift should I bring for the newlyweds? A: The most common Chinese wedding gift is cash wrapped in red envelope, also named Li Shi money. Check is acceptable, of course. However, if you are not a close relative or friends, go ahead and buy any gift you think is appropriate. Whatever you buy, do not give the couple a FAN as gift since the pronunciation of fan is "san", which means "disperse" in Chinese, thus considered a bad omen... Gift Ideas at our Shop...>>> Q: Can you teach me some auspicious words for congratulations to the newlyweds?

A: Bai Tou Xie Lao, meaning "may you two grow old together, and be each other's companion when your hair are white." Bai Nian Hao Ho, meaning "may you happily together for a hundred years." Q: Any taboos at a Chinese wedding? A: Certain people should not attend Chinese wedding, i.e., pregnant women and someone whose immediate family member just passed away... However, for the younger generations, these are not considered taboo anymore. Learn more at Do's & Don'ts...>>> Do's & Don'ts at Chinese Wedding Don't 1: At the proposal meeting, the groom's family will present the bride with an alive goose. The bride's family should not kill the goose and eat it because the goose represents the groom. If the goose is quiet when it is turned over to the bride's family, it indicates that the groom has good personality. Otherwise, it indicates the groom is quick-tampered. The bride's family should leave the goose to a pond where it will grow by itself. Don't 2: Bride's friends will try to block the groom from entering the bride's room on the morning of the wedding day.

But the friends will have to watch time since a auspicious timing is already chosen for the bride to depart her home. Don't 3: When the bride departs her home, and ascends the car, she should change to her formal shoes, thus to indicate that she did not take away even the good luck from her parents. Don't 4: When the bride enters the groom's home, the mother-in-law and sister-in-law should not face the door, watching the bride walk in. This is to avoid confrontation in the future. Don't 5: Pregnant women and people whose family member just passed away should not participate in the wedding ceremony, nor to touch the newlyweds' clothing or anything in the new home. What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? - China Forum - TripAdvisor What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? - China Forum Review a place you’ve visited JOIN Which China hotels are on sale? mm/dd/yyyy mm/dd/yyyy What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? Jan 28, 2015, 11:57 AM I am attending a family friend's wedding in Dongguan at the end of March. I've never traveled to China, let alone attended a wedding.

Also, both his parents are government officials, so maybe that changes the tone of the event? First of all, what would be an appropriate thing to wear? I already know to stay away from both red and white, but what other colors/styles are appropriate? Should I wear a floor length dress or cocktail style dress? I've also heard that the ceremony spans two days, so should I wear something more or less formal on the first or second day? Also, what is an appropriate gift? I've tried asking my in-laws, since they have the primary relationship with the groom-to-be, but they are as clueless as I am. Travelers interested in this topic also viewed... Show Prices 20 replies to this topic 1-10 of 20 replies for Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai Region, Shenzhen, Bangkok Level 1. Re: What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? Jan 28, 2015, 12:03 PM It would be good to ask someone who is organizing it. It highly depends on how they plan the wedding. I would tend to wear a long rather than a short dress. This cannot be wrong. 2.

Re: What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? Jan 28, 2015, 12:28 PM I agree with the first reply that you really need to get a idea from the bride (if possible) as to how she views the event. Usually a Chinese wedding is what we would call a wedding reception or dinner with the bride and groom going earlier in the day to a government office to fill out the paperwork to be married. The Chinese wedding I went to in Nanning was very much on the casual side and a woman in a long evening dress would have been very much out of place. Another Chinese wedding my wife (who's Chinese) went to was based on a Western cowboy theme with an outdoor barbecue and cowboy hats handed out to guests. At my own wedding dinner in Nanning, the women (mostly in their 30's and 40's) wore nice above the knee dresses and high heels, same as a woman in the US might wear to an upscale dinner date. So the correct attire can be all over the place.

As to a gift, unless you know of something specific the bride and groom really want/need, red packet money is the traditional gift (money put into a red envelope with gold trim). 6. Re: What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? Jan 28, 2015, 1:20 PM You wear something very nice that represents you, your husband and family, especially since you are a new family member, as this is a very important occasion for you, your one and only chance to present yourself, if you mess it up, that is how the rest of families will know and think if you forever. It is not just for you, the honor and respect of your entire family is riding on it, that doesn't mean expensive or showy, it all depends on your own class and taste. Same as if this wedding is in your city at home. You should bring choices and alternatives to fit the occasions as they change. As your family will spend great deal of money to travel there, this indicates this should not be a casual event, you don't want to be the worst dressed person there. As for gifts, ask relatives once you are there, within your ability, you can't beat others by giving large amount.

Leave it to the elders in your own family. Edited: 1:21 pm, January 28, 2015 8. Re: What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? Jan 28, 2015, 2:58 PM Assume all eyes will be on you the moment you walk in to the moment you leave, they will talk about you before and after, (Did you see what that woman was wearing? look at her shoes!) all the women will notice whatever is on you or not on you, shoes, purse, jewelry, same as any T-shirt or formal wedding, social events or opera grand openings, more so because of where and who you are. As a far away guest, if hosts have any sense of manner, you will be placed at one of the head tables to be seen by all, so that your family brings honor and respect to them. For Chinese, there is nothing worse than losing face, not just you, your family, but for the hosts too if you dress wrongly, but that is also good manner no matter where you are.

Bring out the big guns and take it extremely seriously, take the 18K Rolex out of the safe, including stuff you may not use. Bring a T-shirt just in case Jean Pierre is right. 10. Re: What should I wear to a Chinese wedding? Jan 28, 2015, 3:40 PM Well now that macbcmini has probably got you back to where you were before this thread started, I want to say that you should just wear what you would normally would wear to a nice wedding or reception in Canada or the US; and look at this as a memorable occasion which I have no doubt you will very much enjoy . Even if you happen to have that 18k Rolex, I wouldn't bring it while traveling, or any other expensive jewelry. Women in the Chinese middle class do tend to dress nicer than the men in my opinion, so even if it were to turn out to be a casual function (though unlikely), with some men in tee shirts, attending in a nice dress will be fine - just don't try to out do the bride in getting attention as this is her day.

Likely as a Westerners you and your family will be considered honored guests and will likely be stared at by some - not all and not all the time. I've found that at functions like these the most important thing is to smile and say Nihao to those who are staring. Many Chinese have still not been around Westerners much and this staring is more out of curiosity rather than their trying to be critical of you. Since you started this thread because you are concerned about what to wear, I think it is very unlike that you will do anything inappropriate to loose face for anyone. Just don't drink too much, rip off your clothes and dance on the table top and you'll be fine. As to the red packet money, just give what you would normally spend on a wedding present for a friend or relative, probably in the 800 to 1,000 yuan range, and only provide clean, fairly new, untorn/unmarked 100 yuan bills in the red packet. History of Wedding Dresses | Meaning of a White Wedding Gown | MARRYJim.com History of wedding dresses History of wedding dresses Did you know this?

The rite of a white wedding dress came from the princes' palaces and only spread slowly at the beginning of the 19's century. Only at the beginning of the 1920's white wedding fashion represents the bourgeois-churchly moral, the virginity of the bride which equates purity. The lifting of the veil was part of ancient wedding ritual, symbolizing the groom taking possession of the wife or the revelation of the bride by her parents to the groom for his approval. An opulent veil was supposed to enwrap the bride like a precious present. A wedding dress or wedding gown is the clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. Most brides choose a dress of white to symbolize purity of the soul. WESTERN CULTURE Weddings performed during and immediately following the Middle Ages were often more than just a union between two people. They could be a union between two families, two businesses or even two countries. Many weddings were more a matter of politics than love, particularly among the nobility and the higher social classes.

Brides were therefore expected to dress in a manner that cast their families in the most favorable light, for they were not representing only themselves during the ceremony. Brides from wealthy families often wore rich colors and exclusive fabrics. It was common to see them wearing bold colors and layers of furs, velvet and silk. Over the centuries, brides continued to dress in a manner befitting their social status - always in the height of fashion, with the richest, boldest materials money could buy. The poorest of brides wore their best church dress on their wedding day. The amount of material a wedding dress contained also was a reflection of the bride's social standing and indicated the extent of the family's wealth to wedding guests. Today, there are wedding dresses available in all price ranges, and Western traditions have loosened up to include a rainbow of colors and variety of lengths, which are now considered acceptable. Women may purchase ready-made gowns, wear a family heirloom, or they may choose to have a dressmaker create one for her. In addition, today many bridal salons have samples of wedding gowns in their stores where the bride selects a certain style and orders one to be made to fit. (Photos public domain.

Files from the Wikimedia Commons, further information on the description pages 1 , 2 , 3 ) Photo 1: Lady Forrest 1876, Victorian style dress Photo 2: The woman to the far right is wearing a typical wedding dress from 1929. Up until the late 1930's, wedding dresses reflected the styles of the day. From that time onward, wedding dresses have traditionally been based on Victorian styles. Photo 3: Apache bride Wedding dresses have traditionally been based on the popular styles of the day. For example, in the 1920s, wedding dresses were typically short in the front with a longer train in the back and were worn with cloche-style wedding veils. This tendency to follow current fashions continued until the late 1940s, when it became popular to revert to long, full-skirted designs reminiscent of the Victorian era. Although there has always been a style that dominates the bridal market for a time, and then shifts with the changes in fashion, a growing number of modern brides are not choosing to follow these trends. This is due in large part to non-traditional and non-first-time weddings, and women who are marrying later in life.

Today, Western wedding dresses are usually white[1], though "wedding white" includes shades such as eggshell, ecru and ivory. […] Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white wedding gown in 1559 when she married her first husband, Francis Dauphin of France because it was her favorite color, although white was then the color of mourning for French Queens. The first documented instance of a princess who wore a white wedding gown for a royal wedding ceremony is that of Philippa of England, who wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with grey squirrel and ermine in 1406.[3] White did not become a popular option until 1840, after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Victoria wore a white gown for the event to incorporate some lace she prized.

The official wedding portrait photograph was widely published, and many other brides opted for white in accordance with the Queen's choice.[4] The tradition continues today in the form of a white wedding, though prior to the Victorian era, a bride was married in any color, black being especially popular in Scandinavia.[5] Later, many people assumed that the color white was intended to symbolize virginity, though this was not the original intention. (It was the color blue that was connected to purity.) The white gown is in fact a symbolic Christening gown. It is a variation of the white surplice worn in the Western Catholic tradition by members of the clergy, church choirs and servers and the gowns worn by girls celebrating their first communion and at their confirmation and also by women making religious vows. Jews have gone to great lengths [6] to follow[7] these Western (Judeo-Christian) customs, whilst adhering to the laws of Tzniut. Today, the white dress is understood merely as the most traditional and popular choice for weddings. NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE The indigenous peoples of the Americas have varying traditions related to weddings and thus wedding dresses.

A Hopi bride traditionally would have her garments woven by the groom and any men in the village who wished to participate. The garments consisted of a large belt, two all-white wedding robes, a white wedding robe with red stripes at top and bottom, white buckskin leggings and moccasins, a string for tying the hair, and a reed mat in which to wrap the outfit. This outfit also would serve as a shroud, since these garments would be necessary for the trip through the underworld. A Pueblo bride wore a cotton garment tied above the right shoulder, secured with a belt around the waist. In the traditions of the Delaware, a bride would wear a knee-length skirt of deerskin and a band of wampum beads around her forehead. Except for fine beads or shell necklaces, the body would be bare from the waist up. If it were a winter wedding, she would wear deerskin leggings and moccasins and a robe of turkey feathers. Her face would be painted with white, red and yellow clay.

The tribes of Northern California (which include the Klamath, the Modoc and the Yurok) had a traditional bridal dress woven in symbolic colors: white for the east, blue for the south, yellow (orange) for the west; and black for the north. Turquoise and silver jewelry were worn by both the bride and the groom in addition to a silver concho belt. Jewelry was considered a shield against evils including hunger, poverty and bad luck. EASTERN CULTURE Many wedding dresses in China, India (wedding sari) and Vietnam (in the traditional form of the Ao dai) are colored red, the traditional color of good luck and auspiciousness. Nowadays, many women choose other colors besides red. In modern mainland Chinese weddings, the bride may opt for Western dresses of any color, and later on a traditional costume for the official tea ceremony. In modern Taiwanese weddings, the bride generally picks red (following Chinese tradition) or white (more Western) silk for the wedding gown material, but most will wear the red traditional garmet for their formal wedding banquets. […] 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.[8] Indian brides in Western countries often wear the sari at the wedding ceremony and change into traditional Indian wear afterwards (lehnga, choli, etc.). At Japanese weddings, brides will often wear three or more dresses throughout the ceremony and subsequent celebrations with a traditional kimono, white and color dress combinations are popular. White is used because in Japan it symbolizes death - in this case, the bride becomes dead to her family. The bride will eventually remove her white kimono to reveal another colored one - usually red - to symbolize her rebirth into her husband's family. The Javanese people of Indonesia wear a kebaya, a traditional kind of blouse, along with batik. In the Philippines, variations of the Baro't saya are considered to be wedding attire for women, along with the Barong Tagalog for men.

Kazakhstan: Traditional Kazakh wedding dress, photo taken between 1911 and 1914 (Photo: public domain , author: Sergei Ivanovich Borisov, this is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. More Information on the description page on Wikipedia. Meaning of the Colored Wedding Dresses | WeddingElation Home » Wedding Dresses » Meaning of the Colored Wedding Dresses Meaning of the Colored Wedding Dresses Share | Nowadays the wedding gowns come in the range of colors, thus the contemporary brides are not limited to the traditional white or ivory hues. The popular bridal designers including Vera Wang have introduced the colored wedding dresses long ago. So, in the result, more and more brides tend to opt for the non-traditional colors for their wedding dress. However, all the colors have the meaning behind them. They all stand for the particular feelings and emotions. So, you might find it useful when choosing the wedding dress in the unusual color. Meaning of the colored wedding dresses Blue color of the wedding dress signifies about the femininity and purity. Besides it means the stability, perpetual loyalty and safety. The white color means the innocence, purity, kindness and chastity. White is associated with the perfection.

This hue is considered to be the traditional wedding gown color, which is out of the fashion and time. Ivory have the similar meaning as the white wedding gown. Besides, it is very traditional. However, some consider the ivory to be the symbol of the tainted innocence. This is an old fashioned opinion and the contemporary brides opt for ivory since it better flatters them. Red is the symbol of the numerous emotions like the love, passion, infatuation etc. In numerous cultures like in the Indian one the red wedding dress is an obligatory element. Pink stands for the innocence, femininity, childishness and freshness. Besides, the pink wedding gown will add a playful and flirtatious feel into your look. Black is often seen as an eerie hue and is considered to be a weird pick for the bride. However, the black wedding dresses are highly popular among the contemporary brides. Besides looking elegant and classy, black allows visual stretching and thinning of the frame. Black stands for the poverty, sexuality, wealth, sophistication etc.

Chinese Wedding Dresses - The Stages and Related Links Chinese Wedding Dresses Chinese Celebrations and Festivals Chinese Wedding Dresses Models walk the runway during the Famory Cup China Wedding Dress Design Contest 2008 at the China Fashion Week Spring/Summer Collection 2009 Nov. 7, 2008 in Beijing, China. Many Chinese brides opt to wear Western-style wedding dresses. Getty Images Share By Lauren Mack At most Chinese weddings, the bride wears a qipao . At many Chinese weddings, the bride wears more than one Chinese wedding dress. Most brides opt for three dresses - one red qipao , one white, Western-style wedding gown, and a third ball gown. The bride will begin the wedding banquet with one dress of these dresses. After three courses are served, the bride usually changes into her second Chinese wedding dress. After the sixth course, the bride will change once again into her third Chinese wedding dress. Some brides may opt for a fourth Chinese wedding dress to be worn as when greeting guests as they leave the wedding party. The groom typically wears one or two suits. While some grooms may opt for a traditional Zhongshan suit , or Mao suit, it is more likely to see older guests wearing a Mao suit .

Instead, most grooms wear tuxedos or Western-style business suits. In addition to the Chinese wedding dresses worn on the wedding day, the bride and groom may either wear the same dresses for their Chinese wedding photos or wear a completely different set of clothing. Wedding guests usually wear bright colors especially red which symbolizes luck and wealth in Chinese culture. Guests should avoid white, which is reserved for the bride, and black, which is considered a somber color.

Question: What is the traditional colour of a wedding dress in China?
Answer: Red