In many societies the color white has long been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West. More often than not, though, you will hear claims that brides wear white because “it’s tradition.” But, historically, white was not the only color considered for wedding dresses. In fact, other colors were chosen far more frequently than white. For many centuries in Western societies, wedding dresses were of all different colors. This was for reasons of practicality as much as anything else. Brides tended to buy a wedding dress that could be worn again, or they simply wore the best dress they already owned. And white does not lend itself to practicality: it is difficult to keep clean and is therefore not ideal for many situations or for repeat wear. Many brides chose to wear dresses of other colors for their wedding—and beyond. So why do so many of today’s brides wear white? They do so largely thanks to a trend that started with Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding to Prince Albert.
Not unlike today, royal weddings in yonder years received a lot of coverage—albeit not in as many different mediums as we have now—and thus had a tendency to be trendsetting. The nuptials of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were no exception. So when Victoria opted to wear a white gown (reportedly to show off the fine detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was floundering at the time), her fashion choice was widely reported in newspapers and magazines and was soon influencing domestic as well as international wedding trends. Initially embraced by wealthier brides, the trend of a white wedding gown eventually spread across all economic levels and was cemented as “tradition” in the 20th century.
In many societies the color white has long been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West.
The color white represented purity, symbolizing both a woman's chastity and her transition to a married Roman matron. It was also associated with Vesta, the virgin goddess of hearth, home and family who was served by temple priestesses garbed in distinctive white clothing.
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.
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.
The last thing you want is for someone to mistake you for the bride or be in photographs where guests think you're trying to steal the spotlight. All in all, it's respectful and customary not to wear white as a guest to the wedding unless the bride specifically asks you to wear white or she says it's okay to wear it.
Queen Victoria spent the majority of her reign wearing black, to mourn the death of her husband Albert. Yet, she is credited with kicking off a very different fashion trend: Brides wearing white on their wedding day.
WHAT DOES A BLACK WEDDING DRESS MEAN? Black symbolises power, mystery, strength, elegance, formality, and sophistication. It's a positive, empowering colour, especially for women. That's why it's often the colour of choice for women in positions of power and authority.
They believed that evil spirits would prey on brides as they walked down the aisle. So, to deter them, brides wore veils to hide their identity. Wedding historian, Susan Waggoner, broadens this perspective to say that the veil repels anything that may make the bride unhappy or cause her harm.
However, nowadays, the idea that you must be 'pure' in order to wear a white dress is rather outdated. Many brides choose to wear white on their wedding day, even if they aren't a virgin, or even if they have children already. These days, white is merely chosen because it's traditional.
Red. The colour of love, the bride who wears red is bold, passionate and full of desire. Not for the fainthearted this is a bold statement to make on your wedding day.
From Biblical times through the early 19th century, brides did not traditionally wear white. Not only was a white dress seen as impractical, it was not financially wise for brides to purchase a dress to wear only once. Therefore, most brides simply wore their fanciest dress on their wedding day.
Only the bride would be in white, a symbol of her virtue, standing out in a sea of colour. But now the rule book has been thrown out – and as long as the bride is happy for her mother to wear ivory, cream or champagne – there is no reason to hold back from making this choice.
"Tradition dictates guests avoid wearing red out of fear that it could take attention away from the happy couple,” explains Hurwitz. “Visually, it's quite bold. In a photo, your eye is immediately drawn to the color, especially if it's next to neutrals like white, black, gray, or beige.”
Some brides don't wear white because it's an antiquated tradition that is supposed to acknowledge whether the bride is a virgin or not. However the man's clothes do not identify his “purity” status. So most women choose to wear their favorite color instead of white.
Luckily, times have changed, and given the fact that wedding fashion etiquette norms have shifted over the years, we now have good news for fans of coal-colored ensembles. “It is absolutely acceptable for a female to wear a black dress to a wedding,” Swann advises.
Although a tradition, it is important to know you DO NOT need to wear a white wedding dress if you do not want to! Because of this, we have collated 5 reasons why you do not need to wear white.
Many of the concepts that white symbolizes are associated with 'purity'—innocence, virginity, purification, and cleanliness—a pure state, before being 'tainted' by color.
"White is still reserved for the bride(s) or groom(s) only. Of course, there's almost always an exception to the rule, and in this case I find only one: It is okay to wear white if, and only if, the couple has specifically requested that attire be worn," Megan Seaton, wedding planner at Molly Mae Events, says.
Some say that white represents purity and innocence, while black is a symbol of power and authority. Another theory is that white was originally worn because it was the most difficult color to stain, while black was seen as the most luxurious color.
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