This project examines the symbolic use of colour in wedding attire across 200 countries and territories, using an art-based inquiry to create a cohesive map visually representing cultural colour associations. As a globally shared yet culturally distinct event, weddings provide a unique vantage point for exploring identity, tradition, and symbolism. By focusing on wedding attire, this research uncovers patterns, such as the dominance of white in Western societies and much of Latin America, red’s deep symbolism in Asia, the prevalence of gold in North Africa and the Middle East, and vibrant colours in sub-Saharan Africa.
A total of 2,748 images were sourced exclusively through Google Image Search. While practical, this method introduced challenges, including the underrepresentation of smaller or marginalized communities, regional gaps in larger, diverse nations like India and Russia, and difficulties representing small island territories. Images were meticulously edited to remove extraneous details and compiled using visual tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
The resulting infographic reveals how history, geographic diversity, and cultural evolution shape the colour and symbolism of wedding attire. It also highlights areas for future research, such as a parallel study on men’s wedding attire, the impact of multi-day ceremonies, alternative mapping solutions, and the need for alternative data collection methods, including crowd-sourced imagery and ethnographic collaboration.
Ultimately, this project amalgamates art and research, offering a visually compelling and culturally significant artifact that invites reflection on the shared human experience of weddings and the universal yet varied ways colour communicates identity and tradition.