Traditional wedding costume and headdress of Europe

I have told you about traditional wedding costumes of India and Sri Lanka, about unique bridal jewelry of Indonesia, Nepal and Morocco. They are so beautiful, exotic and unique that honestly, the European white wedding dress seems a bit plain and boring. But...it has not always been like this. For most European countries a national costume in its most decorated form was worn as a bridal dress and some garment was added to indicate the girl as the bride, usually it was an elaborate headpiece. And what headpieces they were! A variety of colours, fabrics, textures and even precious jewels was used for bridal headdress.

Bride and groom from Bulgaria

In Bulgaria complicated arrangements of woolen braids and bunches of flowers were fastened between the bride's own hair which was plaited in a dozen or more braids. In parts of the Sofia region a bride would wear a huge halo of flowers and bunches of feather grass and her face were hidden by a curtain of numerous thin plaits hung with coins. And in Pleven region brides wore impressive halos of coins. A bridegroom would be distinguished by the white towel placed over one shoulder or around his neck and the posy of flowers or the wreath on his fur hat.

Bride from Bulgaria. This and the above photo from here

Bulgarian bride in a coin headdress. Photo found here

Norwegian bride from eastern Telemark. Photo source

In Norway the bride traditionally wore a crown. Usually made from silver or brass, crowns often were owned by a parish church or wealthy family. The bride’s family could rent a crown or make their own of cheaper materials. The "church" crown had virgin significance and was decorated with detailed silver work and gilt, chains and dangles which shined and jingled as the bride moved.

A bride from Hardanger, Norway, ca.1870-1920. Photo source 

Bridal crowns varied from district to district. Some crowns could be so heavy that they would have to be sewn into the bride’s hair in order for it to sit properly in place. The shape of the crown varied in different parts of the country; usually it was circular and worn like an ordinary crown, but in some places it was of a crescent shape and fastened under the chin like a bonnet.

Bride from Estonia

The costume of the Estonian bride was gaily coloured and embroidered and she wore an impressive headdress. Shaped like a basin it was covered with dangling balls of coloured glass and bunches of feathers.

Bride from Transylvania in traditional costume and headdress. Photo source

Transylvania bride's headdress is covered all around with little metal plates. Each plate is adorned with a precious stone. The lower end is trimmed with a string of coins (gold, silver or copper, depending on one's wealth) and the upper part of headdress is filled (like a flower pot) with peacock feathers or artificial flowers.

Wedding couples from Germany, Black Forest region. Photo source

Bride from Schaumburg-Lippe, Germany. Photo source 

In Germany bridal headdress varied from region to region. In the Black Forest valley, for example, the headdress was large and decorated with hundredths of glass balls and beads, while in Buckenburg an emphasis was on flowers rather than beads.

Bride from Ukraine. Photo source

In some regions of Ukraine brides used to wear huge wreaths of goose feathers. Each wreath was about a kilogram of weight. A velvet or silk band with bead flowers and golden decorations was a ritual complement to the feather wreath.

Bride from North Russia

Bride from Pskov province, Russia

The wedding headwear of Russian brides descended from flower wreaths and at first it was a ribbon or a metal headband encircling the forehead and fastened at the back of the head. Later kokoshnik came to use as a wedding headdress. They were most often made of damask woven with gilt metallic threads or velvet with gold embroidery. The wealthy peasant class often decorated their kokoshniks with pearls and gemstones.

Bride from Macedonia, Neohorouda province. Photo  source

A traditional bridal outfit from Macedonia could weigh many kilograms and might consist of nine garments with quantities of jewelery: large silver buckle, silver belt, gold or silver coins necklaces.

Bride from Salamanca, Spain. Photo courtesy Amalia Gonzalez

Bride from Salamanca, Spain, in traditional costume. Photo source

The main element of the bride's costume of Salamanca, Spain is jewelry as well. It features necklaces, pendants, medals, medallions, reliquaries, crosses and beautifully craved coral pieces. The headdress is pretty modest - a simple embroidered kerchief of fine linen or tulle covering the hair.
Luckily, nowadays many young people want to keep tradition alive and chose to wear traditional wedding costume for their big day.

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