Today's modern bride is likely to choose a wedding dress in white, especially if she is getting married in the USA or Europe; however, it is only in recent history that white wedding dresses became popular and the traditional wedding dress color, prior to the popularity of the white wedding dress, was in fact blue. Today, a bride may choose a wedding dress in any number of colors.
The Tradition of the White Wedding Dress
Queen Victoria of England wore a white wedding dress in her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert and is often said to be responsible for the popularity of the white wedding dress today. Brides had not commonly worn white wedding dresses before Queen Victoria popularized the color and influenced the fashion choice of future brides.
Today, a white wedding dress represents purity, innocence and virginity; as a neutral color, a white wedding dress will compliment the majority of choices in wedding flowers, bridesmaid dresses and the groom's attire. However, in many eastern countries, white has the same meaning as black in western countries, representing death.
The Tradition of the Blue Wedding Dress
Prior to the 1840 marriage of Queen Victoria, blue was the traditional color choice for bridal gowns; blue represented purity, as white does for today's bride. Today, blue is a color which is associated with calm, tranquility and faithfulness. The color blue is also often associated with water, so a blue wedding dress might be appropriate for a beach or waterside wedding.
Ivory and Pink Wedding Dresses
An ivory wedding dress is closely associated with the white wedding dress and became popular following the fashion for a white wedding dress; an ivory bridal gown is often a choice for second marriages or for those whose complexion is better suited to the color ivory over white.
Pink wedding dresses are rising in popularity today, following the fashion for white and ivory bridal gowns; the color pink represents love, fidelity, innocence and is distinctly feminine. A pink wedding dress is a good choice for those who love to celebrate all that is feminine and pretty! It's sometimes chosen these days for a Valentine's wedding date.
Red and Black Wedding Dresses
The color red was not chosen for wedding dresses in the past as it depicted the image of a prostitute. However, a red wedding dress can represent passion, love and power; in China, the color red is considered to be good luck and, in India, the color red represents purity. Red is a color choice for a bold bride, and is sometimes chosen for a Christmas wedding date.
In western countries, the color black often symbolizes death; however, the color black can also represent sophistication, class and elegance. The color black can be both sexy and formal and wedding guests often choose to wear the color black. A black wedding dress is certain to make a statement and should only be chosen by a confident bride!
Purple and Green Wedding Dresses
Purple and green wedding dresses were common in medieval times, particularly amongst the wealthy, as the colors represented royalty and power. Today, the color green can represent healing and has close association with the environment, making a green wedding dress an appropriate choice for a wedding in nature; the color purple represents spirituality and creativity.
Things to Consider When Choosing Wedding Dress Color
Apart from traditional and non-traditional meanings of wedding dress colors, there are a few other factors which should be considered when choosing the color of a wedding dress. These include:
- bridal bouquet colors and the color of the bridesmaid bouquets
- the wedding location
- traditional or non-traditional values
- the complexion of the bride
- the height and weight of the bride
- the groom's attire
- the bridesmaid dress colors
- the color and theme of the wedding reception.
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