In Pakistan, the wedding ceremonies take place over three days. This bride and groom had an arranged marriage. In one ritual, the bride is led by her family to officially unveil her face to the groom. The groom's family wears matching scarves at the ceremony and the women all wear gowns, like these, covered in jewels.
At this Korean wedding, two female helpers, similar to bridesmaids in an American wedding, help with the general process of the ritual. They assist the bride taking a bow, which in traditional times was supposed to be the first moment that the bride and groom saw each another. The bow is not easy to do alone due to the heavily clad traditional wardrobe.
At this Korean wedding, dancers celebrate the matrimony with lotus-printed fans before the beginning of the ceremony. Here, the dancers use their fans to display the full blooming of a lotus flower. The fan dance is one of Korea's favorite traditional dances and is often performed to mark auspicious occasions. Even while all the performances are under way, the bride does not appear in front of the guests because she is to wait until the groom comes to escort her to the ceremony.
During the Chinese wedding ritual, the bride and groom exchange vows in the banquet hall and then take part in a lavish feast. This extremely strong Chinese liquor, called Maotai, is plentiful and enjoyed by all.
At this Chinese wedding in Beijing, everything is red, from the traditional clothes to the stage, symbolizing happiness, prosperity and good-fortune.
This traditional wedding in Moscow resembles a Western wedding with the bride's white dress and bouquet. After this ceremony, the couple releases a pair of doves into the sky as a symbol of their love.
In Moscow, the couple is presented with fresh bread and salt, which they eat to ensure health and prosperity. After every vodka shot, the guests shout "gorka," which means sour. They keep chanting it until the newlyweds promises to ensure a sweet future together.
Marsabit District, Kenya. Ariaal warriors compete and dance to impress women at a wedding.
At this upper-middle class wedding in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, men from both the bride's and the groom's family meet to celebrate. The groom greets the male members of the bride's family with kisses. According to Islamic law, men and women celebrate separately. And in keeping with Muslim tradition, the bride is traditionally not photographed.
At this Saudi Arabian wedding, a young relative of the groom carries incense during the all male ceremony, which includes both the groom's and the bride's families.
At this Indonesian wedding, the bride, 30-year-old Vini Muslimov Sebastianputra and the groom, 30-year-old Azwirman, are formally presented with their mothers by their side. The stage, lit and lavishly decorated the color of gold, is shaped in the style of a traditional Padang House and is called Rumah Gadang, or big house.
In Indonesia, women dancers balance flickering candles on saucer plates in their arms, as they glide through the room to the rhythm of the music. This "Tari Lilin," or candle dance, is a symbol of how the bride and groom can achieve their aspirations of married life together.
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