When we think of a wedding gown in the western world we naturally tend to think of the white wedding dress. Truthfully it can be stunning seeing a gorgeous woman make her appearance in an elegant white wedding gown.
However, with so many other choices available the question is naturally raised, "Why is white the predominate color among wedding dresses. 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 astonishes most to learn that the tradition that dictates that brides be adorned in a white wedding gown is not very old at all. 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 families could afford the opulence of such an extravagant dress (This was most clearly seen in the 1950's as the post World War II economic boom hit and Hollywood began to produce glamorous stars) the practice was set.
Symbolism: In western civilization the white wedding dress has come in the past several decades to be representative of purity as opposed to reflecting wealth as in Queen Victoria's case. Usually the symbolism refers to the bride herself, but sometimes the connotation is broadened to embrace the spotlessness of the matrimony or the marriage vows.
Beauty: Truly, a white wedding gown that seems to glisten with radiance can be dazzling. Likewise, there is something stylish and proper about white - I suspect it goes back to how tricky 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 etiquette and education necessary to keep white formal wear looking fine throughout the gala where those not trained in the finer things of life would not. At least that is what some part of our brain or upbringing wants to believe.
But what if a specific bride does not wear white well? Of course, that is a personal question. Just the same, the problem is legitimate. Is it necessary to spend the biggest day of one's existence wearing something that does not flatter one's appearance? We have all seen brides in white who appeared washed out and even harsh merely because of the white dress as compared to her already pale complexion. If it were me, I would not hesitate to ditch the white wedding dress in favor of another color that better enhanced the beauty of the bride.
