The Intriguing History Of Wedding Gowns (2024)

FAQs

What was the purpose of the original wedding gowns? ›

When Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg in 1840, she was just 20 years old. She reportedly wanted her subjects to know that she took the job of queen seriously and would be prudent and sensible. She decided the best way to convey that message was through a practical and inconspicuous wedding gown.

Skilled artisans were facing poverty due to the invention of machine textiles, so she chose a large piece of handmade Honiton lace, and white was the best colour to showcase this. By the mid- 19th century, white and lace were customary for bridal wear.

Before 1840, when Queen Victoria wore an influential white dress for her wedding ceremony, it was quite usual for a bride to wear red, pink, blue, brown, or even black, while saying her vows.

History of the white dress

Though Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white wedding gown in 1559 when she married her first husband, Francis Dauphin of France, the tradition of a white wedding dress is commonly credited to Queen Victoria's choice to wear a white court dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.

The first documented instance of a princess who wore a white wedding dress for a royal wedding ceremony is that of Philippa of England, who wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with squirrel and ermine in 1406, when she married Eric of Pomerania.

The black gown symbolized ensured her loyalty to the bride's devotion to her husband until death. Nowadays, black wedding gowns are the first choice for women who want to wear an unusual yet intense look. They are seen as fashionable and symbolize elegance, power, sensuality, mysteriousness, and Intellect.

White wedding is not in the Bible says Pastor Abel.

Traditionally, the wedding garter most often symbolizes love and luck. In the Middle Ages it was more tied up with notions of virginity and the consummation of marriage; these days it's more of a fun, lighthearted wedding way to show off the couple's chemistry and interact with their guests.

Meaning of white wedding in English

a traditional Christian marriage in a church, at which the woman who is getting married wears a white dress: She wants a white wedding.

Isaiah 1:18 “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be whiter than snow.” The white wedding gown is not a symbol of the bride's purity. It is an emblem of the work Jesus has done on the cross. It is a mark of the work the Holy Spirit continues to do, changing hearts, breathing life, making his people new.

What does shotgun wedding mean? ›

A shotgun wedding is a wedding that has to take place quickly, often because the woman is pregnant.

When Victoria died, she was buried with her wedding veil over her face. In 2012 it was reported that while the dress itself had been conserved and displayed at Kensington Palace that year, the lace was now too fragile to move from storage.

The nature and purposes of dress. Perhaps the most obvious function of dress is to provide warmth and protection. Many scholars believe, however, that the first crude garments and ornaments worn by humans were designed not for utilitarian but for religious or ritual purposes.

So the token of 'something new' has tended to be a bride's dress – a garment designed and selected with the support of her family, marking the start of her new union and life. Traditionally, the borrowed item in a bride's outfit was loaned from a happily married female relative.

This practice symbolized joy, luck, and a blissful union. In medieval and Renaissance Europe, red was a popular choice for wedding attire among the nobility and the wealthy. It was considered a symbol of wealth, power, and passion.

In ancient times, brides wore bright colors to show their happiness for such a special occasion. For example, in Athens brides wore reds and violets. As time went on, we still see colorful dresses during Medieval Times. Brides during this time period would wear blue, red, yellow, or green.