Traditional Wedding Outfits Around the World

What do brides and grooms wear when they marry the way their grandparents did? This gallery travels from Japan to Scotland, one photo per tradition, to show the garments themselves: the fabrics, colors, crowns and headwraps that make each one unmistakable. Every photo shows clothing worn for a wedding, either at a real ceremony or photo shoot or on display in a museum. Everyday folk dress and Western white gowns are left out. Many of these outfits carry meaning in their details, such as a white hood worn only for the vows, dowry coins that remained the bride's own savings, or a church-owned crown rented for the day, and the captions point those details out. It is a starting point for couples who want to honor a heritage, for planners dressing a multicultural wedding, and for anyone who simply wants a close look at how differently the world dresses for the same promise.