Project Concept & Research Goals

Weddings are a globally shared yet culturally distinct event, making them an ideal lens for exploring how different cultures assign meaning to colour. This project set out to create a cohesive map of wedding attire colours across 200 countries, using visual research to bypass the limitations of linguistic colour terminology.

Rather than relying on written records or surveys, the study focused on real-world visual data. It sourced 2,748 wedding images through Google Image Search. The photos were edited and arranged into a Mercator projection, forming a striking data-driven infographic of wedding colour traditions worldwide.

Creative & Technical Process

Data Collection:

• Sourced 2,748 images via Google Image Search
• Prioritized diversity in styles, ensuring regional representation
• Noted limitations in marginalized and underrepresented communities

Image Processing:

• Edited each image in Adobe Photoshop to remove backgrounds and defining features (skin tone, hair colour)
• Standardized images to ensure colour remained the primary focus

Mapping & Visualization:

• Placed edited images into a Mercator projection template in Adobe Illustrator
• Each country’s outline served as a clipping mask for its corresponding wedding attire imagery
• The final image was flattened and vectorized to optimize file size and scalability

Data Interpretation & Insights:

• Identified regional colour patterns (e.g., dominance of white in Western countries, symbolic red in Asia, gold in North Africa)
• Considered historical and colonial influences shaping modern wedding attire
• Analyzed biases in algorithmic image sourcing

Key Findings & Cultural Patterns

• White is the dominant wedding colour in the West and much of Latin America.
• Red carries deep significance in Asia, symbolizing prosperity and happiness.
• Gold & White are prevalent in North Africa and the Middle East, reflecting elegance and tradition.
• Vibrant, patterned designs characterize Sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting regional and ethnic diversity.
• Colonial influences shape wedding attire traditions. Some cultures adopt Western styles, while others maintain or blend traditional elements.

Challenges & Areas for Future Research

Algorithmic Bias in Image Search:

• The study relied on Google Images, prioritizing popular traditions over marginalized or underrepresented communities.
• Regional gaps exist, especially in smaller island nations and diverse regions like India and Russia.

Future Expansion:

• Crowd-sourced imagery could provide richer, community-driven data.
• Men’s wedding attire remains an unexplored area for future research.
• Alternative mapping projections could offer a more proportionally accurate representation.

Final Thoughts

This project merges art, research, and cultural storytelling to create a visually compelling infographic that reflects the deep cultural significance of colour in wedding traditions. It is both an academic artifact and a conversation starter, inviting viewers to reconsider the symbolic language of colour in a global context.

Read the Full Study Here: OCAD Open Research