Monday, January 11, 2010

Cultural Differences in Wedding Dresses

Starting from the time that you reach your teenage years through your puberty stage and gradually until you turn to be a young adolescent, you will have definitely thought about marriage at least once in your life. It is just natural to do so and there is no need for you to be ashamed even if you are a very conservative person. This is because marriage is considered to be one of the most memorable and important events in one's life.

Since marriage is something which is sacred and is supposed to be a once in a lifetime experience, it is always celebrated in a remarkable manner. This is especially true if the families of the bride and groom are exceptionally wealthy. In this kind of setting, there would definitely be a lot of guests and of course a grand party after the wedding. However, you will notice that the focus of the whole wedding ceremony and the party (if the bride does not change to casual clothing) will be the wedding gown which is worn by the bride. This is due to the fact that wedding gowns signify a huge part of marriage itself and has become a wedding symbol throughout the years.

Asides from being a symbol of marriage, wedding gowns are also highly prioritized in a wedding arrangement for it has been a tradition to make the bride look her best during the ceremony. And you can only do this by making her wear the most elegant of wedding gowns.

There are a lot of variations of wedding gowns in general. This is due to the fact that culture plays a major role in the designs of these bridal clothing. Some of the aspects of the gown design which mostly varies due to cultural beliefs are color, length and pattern. A perfect example is the traditional wedding gowns of the Vietnamese brides which is called the Ao dai. The Ao dai is usually in red color. It also has an oriental pattern which is mostly seen in the front part extending from the chest area to the thighs or feet. The red color of this bridal dress is in line with how the Vietnamese culture sees it as a sign of good luck and prosperity.

In the Asian countries with Eastern culture such as China and India, the wedding dresses are similar to the Ao dai of Vietnam with regards to the significance of the red color pertaining to good luck. However, women these days from the said countries mostly opt to wear a color other than red for their traditional wedding dress. White Western wedding dresses are also becoming a more popular choice for the young Chinese brides to be. This is proof that globalization has indeed become something that has influenced numerous people from all over the world.

Other countries such as Japan have weddings wherein the bride will wear three or more dresses. This is done throughout the ceremony and after which the bride will wear a kimono which is a popular Japanese traditional dress during the celebration proper.

For Javanese people of Indonesia, they wear a kebaya which is a sort of traditional blouse with the batik. In the Philippines, the Baro't saya is the traditional wedding attire for women which is partnered along with the Barong Tagalog for men.

Nowadays though, there is a rising demand for bridal gowns which are customized to fit the personality of the bride. These wedding dresses are mostly casual and give a unique touch to the ambiance of the ceremony itself which is a very creative way to differentiate your own wedding.



Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Cultural-Differences-in-Wedding-Dresses&id=3465826