Wedding White?

When we think of a wedding dress in the western world we automatically tend to think of the white wedding dress. Truly it can be stunning seeing a beautiful woman appear in an elegant white wedding gown.

But there are so many other choices available which raises the question, why is white the predominate color among wedding dresses. Likewise, we are forced to ask, should it be?

Really there are three legs upon which the tradition of the white wedding gown rests within the western culture; tradition, symbolism, and beauty. A wise bride will take a few minutes to analyze each of these foundational concepts in an effort to determine what is best for her:

• Tradition: It surprises most to discover that the tradition that demands a white wedding gown is really not that old. In fact, most agree, that the tradition only goes back as far as Queen Victoria in 1840 who wore white as a show of her wealth since pure white fabric was expensive to make and obviously impractical to keep clean. Naturally, over the years as more and more people could afford the luxury of such an extravagant dress (especially in the 1950's as the post war boom hit and movie actors became glamorous stars) the tradition was solidified.
• Symbolism: In western culture the white wedding dress has come in the past several decades to symbolize purity rather than wealth as it originally did. Usually the symbolism refers to the bride herself, but sometimes the meaning is broadened to include the purity of the marriage or the marriage vows.
• Beauty: Truly, a white wedding gown that seems to shimmer in the light can be stunning. Likewise, there is something elegant and formal about white - I suspect it goes back to how difficult it is to keep clean - either a pure white dress or simply a white shirt. At least it speaks subconsciously to us of class, for a man or woman of upbringing would have the manners and training necessary to keep white formal wear looking nice throughout the celebration where those not brought up in the finer things of life would not. At least that's what some part of our brain wants to believe.

But what if an individual bride does not look good in white? Of necessity, such is a personal question.

Still, the question is valid. Is it necessary to spend the biggest day of one's life wearing something that does not flatter one's appearance? We have all seen brides in white who looked washed out and even harsh because of the white dress as compared to her already pale complexion.

The answer depends on what matters most to the individual bride. For some the symbolism of purity is worth the choice. For others, tradition is most important. For brides who fall into either of these categories it is enough to accent with other colors in the wedding shoes and flowers.

But if a bride is most interested in the dress that makes her look her best for her new husband, the memories of the day, and therefore the look of the overall wedding then she might want to consider some of the many color options in wedding dresses today. Indeed a wedding gown with the right amount of color for the bride that will wear it can enhance the beauty of both the dress and the bride wearing the dress - and isn't that what we are trying to achieve? Isn't the point of the extravagant wedding gown to highlight the beauty of both the bride and the marriage?