Wedding Dresses in Colour

For some of you you've never known of a time that a woman did not wear white, or a shade of white, for her wedding.....well, what's old is new again!

Anyone with friends from an Asian country, or someone with an internet connection, knows that in  countries, like China or India, white wedding dresses are a taboo symbolizing death and glorious shades of red are preferred-but did you know that the tradition of a white wedding dress is relatively new?

Through the ages beautiful, saturated and bold colours were the most expensive to create and only attainable by the wealthy. For the lucky few that could afford this they would purchase the most saturated jewel toned fabrics that could be produced-greens, blues and burgundy were some of the most popular.  Dresses were elaborate, intricately embroidered and jeweled-the more work ordered the richer the family and since weddings were designed to create alliances and increase family wealth girls needed to appear to be a "good catch".  But, in 1840 the marriage of Queen Victoria changed the way Bride's looked forever.  She chose to wear a white wedding gown.  When looking at it you can see how it is has many of the same attributes of wedding gowns today. 

Queen Victoria at her wedding to Albert

For many years after women still wore wedding gowns of colour but slowly white became more and more the norm until and in 1890 The Ladies Home Journal wrote: “That from times immemorial the bride’s gown has been white”.
Fast forward 200 years and colour is making a comeback and I think it's fantastic!!  Here are some more recent examples.....

Dita Von Teese's dress by Vivienne Westwood

This colour is stunning!!  And is very reminiscent of a colour and style worn by a bride in 1700's. 

Black or brown?  Really??  Yes, brown and black wedding dresses were popular for frontier women.  Money was tight and new fabric was a luxury so many would alter an existing dress, (which would more than likely be in black, brown or grey) or if they had the resources to buy new fabric to create their dress they would be able to make minor alterations afterwards to make it useable as a Sunday best dress so they would choose an "appropriate colour" used by married women.

Of course, with so many people marrying someone from other nationalities or religions weddings are becoming a combination of both and the dresses are reflecting this change.

Tallulah Dress by Hollywood Dreams

Some Bride's are now choosing to walk down the aisle in traditional European style dresses but in colours that respect their, or their fiance's, customs.....making for a jaw dropping combination!

Another Bride that may choose to wear a different colour may be a mature Bride or someone that has previously walked down the aisle.  They may have no desire to wear white-especially if they've already "been there, done that".

Photo courtesy of Lori Miles, Sweet Pea Photography

I designed the bouquet for this bride May of 2010 - she is a woman with grown children that had already been married and decided to choose an absolutely stunning dove grey coloured dress-it suited her colouring beautifully and she was a jaw dropping site!

And then there are the Bride's that just love colour or feel the need to be a little different-this is where soft hues can be stunning without the shocking grandma.

 

This dress, Leah by Edgardo Bonilla, is a perfect example of this!  How gorgeous would this look coming down the aisle?  Soft, romantic, stunning and different! 

Really, you can have whatever colour you love for any reason that you want-isn't that possibility just great!!  What do you think of dresses in colour?  What would be your choice?