The Symbolic Meaning of The Bridal Attire on Alek Gulai Manih Marriage in Solok

Alek gulai manih wedding is the second level wedding at Solok, one of the cities in west Sumatera. This wedding is symbolized by slaughtering a buffalo and a long speech or pidato panjang. The cloth worn by the groom is called Marapulai indak babaju or Marapulai basanda kain barangkok. This cloth surely has unique characteristics and implied values derived from its uniqueness. This study employed qualitative approach which was undertaken at Solok. Furthermore, the data were collected through observation, interview and documentation. Testing the validity of the data was done through trustworthiness, transferability and confirmation.The findings showed that the philosophic meaning was still obeyed as the rules at Solok. Sarawa tapak itik, kain serong balapak/ sisamping, kabek pinggang patah sambilan, keris, salua, kain barangkok, kaduik barantai sagama are the parts of groom’s traditional wedding dress. While, bungo sangua, kupiah tatah ameh, baju kurung basiba hitam batabua ameh, salendang bajambua jo jalo, tanti, dukuh, galang mungu, galang daun, galang rago rago, and sarung balapak that were made by the old women are the parts of bride’s dress. All parts of wedding dress had very deep meanings. Keyword :The Symbolic Meaning, The Bridal Attire, Marriage