Japanese Wedding Dresses

Here comes the bride! Japanese weddings have many similarities to the average American wedding, but often with Japanese traditions adapted to make the occasion modern. This applies to the bride’s wedding dress. There are many options a woman can take for her wedding dress, here are some of the most popular choices.

Shiromuku

Shiromuku is a Shinto tradition, and brides who choose this style for their ceremony are called “shiro-muku.” This white wedding kimono with the wataboshi represents the “purity and sacredness of the bride.” The purity is then broken with marriage as the bride then wears the colors of the family she is marrying into. The wataboshi is a white hat that also acts as a veil in traditional Japanese wedding attire.

Western Wedding Gowns Growing in Popularity

In modern Japanese society, western-style wedding dresses have grown in popularity, especially amongst the christian population. As seen in this picture, many of these dresses can include a Japanese spin on the western wedding gown.

Reception Dress

After the ceremony, Japanese weddings usually hold around a 2 ½ hour reception, in which the bride will either continue wearing her western-style dress, or in Shinto tradition, change into a colorful kimono. The change of the bride’s wedding kimono or dress is called “oironaoshi,” and is symbolic of the bride’s transition into her new husband’s family as well as her adaptation of their customs. The kimonos they change into are called “irouchikake,” and are representative of the groom’s family colors- the most popular colors being blue, purple, and gold.