Junior Rasmussen
The white wedding dress is a tradition commonly associated with Western bridal culture. The custom of brides wearing white is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown during her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. Before Queen Victoria, brides in the Western world wore a variety of colours, with red being a popular choice. The white wedding dress became a symbol of status and purity, and its popularity was further influenced by Hollywood portrayals of weddings and celebrity bridal fashion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of origin | 1840 |
| Originator | Queen Victoria |
| Colour | White |
| Fabric | Spitalfields cream silk-satin with a flounce of Honiton lace |
| Silhouette | Slim waist, full crinoline petticoat, and lace embellishments |
| Symbolism | Purity, innocence, wealth, virginal purity, new beginnings |
| Popularised by | Publications of Queen Victoria's wedding portrait, Hollywood, celebrity weddings |
| Became the norm | Middle of the 19th century, after World War II |
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What You'll Learn
Queen Victoria's influence
The white wedding dress tradition is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Before Queen Victoria, royal brides did not typically wear white, instead choosing colourful gowns, with red being a particularly popular choice in Western Europe. Debutantes had long been required to wear white court dresses for their first presentation at court, and Queen Victoria chose to wear a white dress as a nod to this tradition.
Queen Victoria's wedding portrait was widely published, and her choice of attire captured the public's imagination. As accounts of her wedding spread across the Atlantic and throughout Europe, fashionable people followed her lead. The image of a radiant bride in a white gown became deeply ingrained in popular culture, and white dresses became a popular symbol of status and wealth. The colour also gained new symbolism, coming to signify purity and innocence.
Wearing a white wedding dress also provided an opportunity for conspicuous consumption. As laundering clothing was taxing in the 19th century, white dresses were hard to maintain, and choosing to wear one demonstrated that the bride's family was so wealthy that the bride could choose an elaborate dress that could be ruined by any sort of work or spill.
Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress set a new standard for bridal fashion that continues to influence bridal trends today.
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Symbolism of purity and innocence
The white wedding dress tradition is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Before Queen Victoria, royal brides did not typically wear white, opting instead for colourful "heavy brocaded gowns embroidered with white and silver thread", with red being a particularly popular choice in Western Europe.
As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread across the Atlantic and throughout Europe, white dresses gained new symbolism. The colour began to be associated with purity and innocence, in addition to wealth and status. This symbolism was further reinforced by etiquette books of the time, which described white as the "proper hue, emblematic of the freshness and purity of girlhood".
The portrayal of weddings in Hollywood movies, particularly after World War II, also helped to cement the notion that marriage demanded a white dress. In 1956, photographs of Grace Kelly's wedding gown circulated around the globe. Similarly, in 1981, 750 million people watched Lady Diana Spencer marry Charles, Prince of Wales, in a lavish ivory silk taffeta gown.
Today, a white wedding dress is often considered the default choice for brides in Western countries, with any other colour being seen as a deviation. However, it is important to note that the tradition of wearing white is not universal and that bridal fashion has evolved over time.
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Hollywood's portrayal of weddings
The white wedding dress tradition is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Debutantes had long been required to wear white court dresses for their first presentation at court, and Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding gown set a new standard for bridal fashion. The widespread publication of her wedding portrait further popularized the white wedding dress, as women sought to imitate her style and elegance.
Hollywood movies, particularly those released after World War II, helped to crystallize and homogenize the white wedding as a normative form. The portrayal of weddings in Hollywood, along with the widespread circulation of celebrity wedding images, contributed to the idea that a white dress was essential for brides. For example, in 1956, photos and footage of Grace Kelly's wedding gown circulated globally, and in 1981, 750 million people watched Lady Diana Spencer marry Charles, Prince of Wales, in a lavish white silk taffeta gown with a 25-foot train.
Hollywood weddings are often associated with extravagance and glamour, and they have popularized destination weddings, drawing attention to various countries as wedding destinations. For instance, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas had a traditional Indian wedding in Jodhpur, India, while Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas chose an intimate family-only wedding in a historic French estate. Hailey Baldwin Bieber and Justin Bieber also had a private ceremony in New York.
Old Hollywood weddings evoke nostalgia and glamour, with opulent decor, classic cocktails, and bespoke stationery. The Hollywood Regency decor style combines Art Deco design with modern touches, integrating charm, sophistication, and a hint of decadence. The fashion of the 1940s Hollywood era, influenced by wartime constraints and a desire for escapism, resulted in a blend of practicality and glamour, with mirrored gold and sophisticated colour palettes.
In conclusion, Hollywood has significantly influenced wedding traditions and trends, from popularizing destination weddings to cementing the notion of the white wedding dress as a standard. While the term "Hollywood marriage" has negative connotations, the industry has also celebrated love and glamour, inspiring couples worldwide.
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Mass production of clothing
The mass production of white wedding dresses can be traced back to the 19th century, specifically to the wedding of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert in 1840. Queen Victoria chose to wear a fashionable white gown that was featured in newspapers and magazines around the world. The style and colour of her gown were copied across continents as women aspired to look like the young, attractive queen.
The mass production of clothing, including wedding dresses, was boosted by technological advancements in the 20th century. The arrival of ready-to-wear clothing allowed brides to order affordable, mass-produced gowns based on sample sizes that could then be fitted to their specific measurements. This made it possible for women to achieve the princess-style look at a more affordable price.
During World War II, there were fabric rations and limitations on the amount of fabric that could be used to create a dress. However, wedding dresses were exempted from these restrictions due to the lobbying efforts of the American Association of Bridal Manufacturers, who argued that traditional weddings were part of the American way of life. Despite this, silk was still difficult to come by due to disrupted trade routes with Japan. As a result, most wedding gowns during this period were made from acetate, except for those worn in "parachute weddings," where brides received parachutes from soldiers to create their gowns.
The portrayal of weddings in Hollywood movies, particularly after World War II, helped to further solidify the white wedding dress as a standard. Grace Kelly's wedding gown in 1956 and Princess Diana's wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981, which was watched by 750 million people, further boosted the popularity of the white wedding dress. Today, the mass production of clothing, including wedding dresses, allows for affordable, readily available options for brides worldwide.
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Emulation of royalty
The white wedding dress tradition is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The fashion-loving Queen chose a non-traditional dress—a cream silk-satin gown with a lace flounce at the neck and sleeves—that captured the public's imagination and set a new standard for bridal fashion. As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread, other European leaders and fashionable people followed suit, with women across continents aspiring to look like the young, attractive queen.
The choice of a white wedding dress was a statement of wealth and status. In the 19th century, laundering clothing was challenging, and white dresses were hard to maintain. Thus, white wedding dresses provided an opportunity for conspicuous consumption, signalling that the bride's family was so wealthy that the bride could choose an elaborate dress that could be easily ruined. The colour white also began to carry connotations of purity and virginal innocence, further cementing its association with bridal wear.
The tradition of wearing white for weddings was further popularised by Hollywood portrayals of weddings, particularly after World War II, and by celebrity weddings such as Grace Kelly's in 1956 and Lady Diana Spencer's in 1981. Today, the white wedding dress is considered the classic choice for brides in the West, with about 83% of brides wearing white dresses on their wedding day, according to a survey by Brides Magazine in 2018.
The emulation of royalty in bridal fashion is not unique to Western culture. Traditional Korean brides were also expected to embody this trend, and Japanese Shinto brides typically wear white as well. In China, red is considered the more appropriate colour for brides, signifying life, luck, and celebration.
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Frequently asked questions
The white wedding dress tradition started in 1840 when Queen Victoria wore a white gown to marry Prince Albert.
Queen Victoria wore white because she wanted to make a statement and was a fashion lover. She chose a non-traditional dress and flower crown for her wedding, which she said was "the happiest day of my life".
As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread, other European leaders followed suit. The white dress became a symbol of wealth and status, as laundering clothing in the 19th century was challenging, and white dresses were hard to maintain.
The portrayal of weddings in Hollywood movies, particularly after World War II, helped spread the white wedding tradition globally. In 1956, footage and photographs of Grace Kelly's wedding gown circulated worldwide. In 1981, 750 million people watched Lady Diana Spencer wear a white gown when she married Charles, Prince of Wales.
