George Boyle
The white wedding dress has become a symbol of purity, innocence, and new beginnings in the modern era. However, this tradition is relatively new, with roots in the Roman Republic when brides wore white tunics to symbolise chastity and the transition to married life. In the medieval era, brides often wore colourful dresses, and in 17th-century Spain, black was a popular choice as it was the most expensive and prestigious dye. The modern trend of white wedding dresses is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, though Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white wedding gown in 1559. White wedding dresses gained popularity as they came to symbolise wealth and status, and they were promoted by etiquette books and later by Hollywood and celebrity weddings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Colour | White |
| Symbolism | Innocence, purity, virginity, youth, new beginnings, status, wealth |
| Tradition | Rooted in the public consciousness since World War II, cemented in the 20th century |
| Cultural variations | White signifies mourning in India and China, where brides traditionally wear red |
| History | Popularised by Queen Victoria in 1840, though Mary, Queen of Scots, wore white in 1559 |
| Hollywood influence | Grace Kelly's 1956 wedding gown, Princess Diana's 1981 wedding |
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What You'll Learn
The tradition of white wedding dresses was popularised by Queen Victoria
The tradition of wearing white wedding dresses was popularised by Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Victoria opted for a white dress to show off the fine detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was floundering at the time. The choice was widely reported in newspapers and magazines and soon influenced wedding trends domestically and internationally.
Before Queen Victoria's wedding, royal brides did not typically wear white, instead choosing heavy brocaded gowns embroidered with white and silver thread. Red was a particularly popular colour in Western Europe, and European and American brides wore a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, and practical colours like black, brown, and grey.
The white wedding dress was not a novel idea in 1840. In fact, white had been a popular choice for wedding gowns for centuries. However, Queen Victoria's dress got so much attention partly because royal women had worn gold or silver wedding gowns for centuries. The white dress also captured the public imagination as a romantic gesture, with the notion of the Queen as an adoring and innocent bride.
The rise of print media and magazines in the 19th century helped to spread the fashion throughout the Western world. Illustrations and written descriptions of Victoria's wedding gown influenced bridal fashion across the Atlantic, with an 1850s American wedding dress clearly showing the impact of Victoria's choice. Etiquette books also helped to turn the practice into a tradition, with the white gown soon becoming a symbol of status and a connotation of innocence and virginal purity.
Today, the tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is still popular, with many brides choosing to honour the tradition and pay tribute to family expectations. The colour white is often associated with purity and innocence, and for contemporary brides, choosing to wear white is a way to blend the new chapter she is starting with her family history.
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White symbolises purity and innocence
The white wedding dress is a tradition that is said to have originated with Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. White wedding dresses quickly became a status symbol, evolving to symbolize purity and innocence.
The colour white has long been associated with purity and innocence, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West. In the Roman Republic (509 B.C. - 27 B.C.), brides wore white tunics, and the colour represented purity, symbolizing a woman's chastity and her transition to a married Roman matron. White was also associated with Vesta, the virgin goddess of hearth, home and family.
In the 19th century, when Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress, it was a fashion choice that was soon embraced by wealthy brides. White dresses were hard to maintain and keep clean, so they became a way to show that the bride's family was wealthy and part of the leisure class. Over time, the colour white took on new symbolism in the context of weddings, representing not just purity and innocence but also new beginnings, youth, and a deep respect for family traditions and values.
Today, the white wedding dress is a timeless classic that ties generations together and is often chosen by brides who are planning traditional weddings or who want to honour their family's expectations. While the tradition of wearing white is still prevalent, it is not the only colour considered for wedding dresses, and some brides choose to deviate from the norm by opting for other colours or patterns.
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White is a status symbol
The white wedding dress is often regarded as a symbol of status, purity, and innocence. The tradition of wearing white on one's wedding day is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Before Queen Victoria, royal brides did not typically wear white, opting instead for colourful gowns or coronation robes.
Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress was likely influenced by multiple factors. Firstly, white dresses were already associated with purity and innocence, as they were worn by debutantes being presented at court for the first time. Secondly, the colour white may have been chosen to showcase the detailed British lace produced by the struggling local lace industry. Finally, laundering clothing in the 19th century was challenging, so a white dress was a luxury that only wealthy brides could afford to wear and maintain.
As accounts of Queen Victoria's wedding spread across Europe and beyond, the white wedding dress gained popularity among the elite. White dresses were initially embraced by wealthy brides, as they were seen as a way to display their economic status and firmly establish their place in the leisure class. The difficulty of laundering a white dress also meant that it could not be worn for any sort of work, further emphasising the bride's removal from manual labour and solidifying her status as part of the leisure class.
The white wedding dress was further popularised by Hollywood and the media's portrayal of celebrity weddings. In 1956, images 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 ivory silk taffeta gown with a 25-foot train. Today, the white wedding dress is deeply rooted in tradition and continues to be a popular choice for brides who want to honour customs and create a timeless moment that ties generations together.
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White dresses are impractical
The modern trend in white bridal wear was sparked by Queen Victoria, who chose to wear a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. This choice was initially influenced by her desire to showcase the detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was floundering at the time. Victoria's fashion choice was widely reported in newspapers and magazines and soon influenced wedding trends domestically and internationally. However, it is important to note that white dresses were initially adopted primarily by wealthy brides as a symbol of status and conspicuous consumption.
The labour-intensive process of laundering clothing in the 19th century made white dresses difficult to maintain, and only wealthy brides could afford the luxury of a white silk gown, removed from the grime of everyday life during the Industrial Age. White dresses provided an opportunity to display the bride's family's wealth and firmly established their place in the leisure class. This idea of the white dress as a symbol of status and purity was further cemented by etiquette books, which turned the practice into a widely accepted tradition.
While white wedding dresses have become a timeless classic, it is worth acknowledging that they arose from a place of privilege and impracticality. In a more modern context, with improved laundering techniques and increased prosperity, the impracticalities of wearing a white dress have diminished, allowing the tradition to persist and evolve into a powerful symbol of new beginnings, family ties, and respect for tradition.
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White dresses are popularised by celebrity weddings
The white wedding dress is popularised by celebrity weddings and royal weddings. The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress to her wedding with Prince Albert in 1840. The white dress was chosen to showcase the fine detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was floundering at the time. As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread across the Atlantic and throughout Europe, fashionable people followed her lead.
In 1981, 750 million people watched the wedding of Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales, which saw Diana wear an elaborate white taffeta dress with an 8-metre train. Another celebrity wedding that popularised the white wedding dress was that of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in 1954. Hepburn wore a tea-length dress designed by Pierre Balmain, with elbow-length white gloves and a white rosebud crown.
In more recent years, celebrities such as Meghan Markle, Britney Spears, and Kourtney Kardashian have also worn white wedding dresses. Markle wore a thoughtfully minimal custom dress by Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy, while Spears wore a custom off-the-shoulder cap sleeve dress with a deep skirt slit, accessorised with a white veil and matching choker necklace. Kardashian wore a silk lace and satin mini frock, with a veil featuring a large depiction of the Virgin Mary and the phrase "family loyalty respect".
White wedding dresses are often chosen to symbolise purity and new beginnings, as well as to honour tradition and pay tribute to family expectations. They are also a way for the bride to blend the new chapter she is starting with her family history, creating an emotional connection to the past.
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Frequently asked questions
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. White wedding dresses were soon associated with wealth and status, as well as purity and innocence.
In many societies, the colour white has long been associated with purity and virtue. In Roman times, it represented a woman's chastity and her transition to a married Roman matron. It was also associated with Vesta, the virgin goddess of hearth, home and family.
While wedding dress trends have evolved to include various colours and patterns, the majority of brides still opt for white. According to a 2022 survey, 83% of brides chose white attire, compared to 96% in 2015.
