When you hear the words “wedding dress” I’ll bet you imagine an elegant, flowing gown. A white gown. However, it wasn’t until 1840 that white became fashionable for brides to wear on their wedding day. That was the year England’s Queen Victoria married her first cousin Prince Albert. On that special day she wore a satin and lace white dress trimmed with orange-coloured flower blossoms. Her eighteen foot long train and satin slippers were also white. The dress captured the fancy of the public and before long it became a worldwide sensation. Little did Queen Victoria know, she was establishing a new trend, one that is still prevelent today. Several years after the royal wedding Godey’s Lady’s Book, considered to be the voice of style in Victorian times, stated, “Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one."
Prior to the Victorian era brides typically wore the best dress that they owned at the time of the marriage. Emphasis was on wealth and style, not necessarily colour. There was a time when the colour of choice was black, for it didn’t show stains and could be worn again for a variety of occasions. Blue, with its association to purity, faithfulness and the Virgin Mary, was once a popular choice. But it was never as widely embraced as white would come to be. During the late 1800s, a pure white dress was a luxury as bleaching fabrics was tricky and expensive. White wedding dresses of the period tended to be more ivory or ecru in tone.
Although white dresses are favoured by many brides, it’s not for everyone. In India and China, red is a popular choice. You will see yellow at Moroccan weddings, green at some Italian ceremonies and purple in Eritrea. Throughout the world women wear bright, multi-coloured patterns that celebrate the cultural heritage of their particular region, sect or nationality. Another tradition started by Queen Victoria prohibits anyone but the bride from wearing white to a wedding. Dress accordingly.