George Boyle
The colour of a wedding dress is important because it is a reflection of the wearer's personality and feelings. In Western cultures, white wedding dresses have traditionally been used to symbolise purity and grace, while in Eastern cultures, wedding dresses are often colourful and imbued with unique symbolic meanings. Today, brides are increasingly choosing a variety of colours, from ivory to champagne, and non-traditional colours like black, blue and lavender. In some cultures, colour remains an important factor, with many brides choosing to wear red for good luck. Ultimately, the choice of wedding dress colour is a personal one, allowing brides to express themselves and pick a dress that is most flattering for them.
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What You'll Learn
White symbolises purity and grace in Western cultures
White is a colour that symbolises purity and grace in Western cultures. In Western culture, white is the colour most associated with innocence and purity. In the Bible and in Temple Judaism, lambs—which are white—were sacrificed to expiate sins. In Christianity, children are baptised and take their first communion dressed in white. Christ after the Resurrection is also traditionally portrayed dressed in white.
In ancient Egypt and ancient Rome, priestesses wore white as a symbol of purity, and in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a white unicorn was a symbol of chastity. In the Renaissance, artists were encouraged to add white to their colours to make them lighter and brighter.
White wedding dresses were popularised by Queen Victoria in the 19th century, symbolising wealth and prestige. Today, white is still the most traditional colour for wedding dresses, though ivory and other shades have become more popular in recent years. Ultimately, there are no rules for wedding dress colours, and brides are encouraged to choose a colour that suits their skin tone and the style of their wedding.
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Colour can reflect the bride's personality and how it makes her feel
Colour is a powerful tool that can communicate a lot about a person's personality and emotions. While the choice of wedding dress colour is entirely up to the bride, some brides may opt for a colour that reflects their personality or makes them feel a certain way.
For example, a bride who wears red is bold, passionate, and full of desire. Red is often described as arousing or exciting, and it is no wonder that this colour is associated with love. On the other hand, a bride who chooses to wear orange is likely to be youthful, strong, and flamboyant. Orange is a cheerful colour that brings a smile to people's faces. It is often used by brands that want to be known as exciting and fun.
Yellow is another cheerful colour that conveys intelligence and wisdom with a hint of humour. Brides who choose yellow are curious and driven, with a focus on their goals. This colour is often used to evoke happiness, positivity, and the warmth of the summer sun. Similarly, green is associated with nature, growth, fertility, health, and compassion. A bride who chooses green is likely to be inventive and loyal, with a strong sense of stability and vitality.
Blue is a peaceful and trustworthy colour that signifies purity and stability. A bride who wears blue is calm, loyal, and life-giving, much like the stable and harmonious nature of the colour itself. Purple, on the other hand, is associated with royalty, power, and privilege. It can also indicate wisdom and spirituality.
While white is a traditional colour for wedding dresses in Western cultures, symbolising purity and innocence, it may not be the best choice for every bride. White wedding dresses are known to wash out paler skin tones, but they look excellent on darker skin tones and yellow undertones. Ivory, a warmer alternative to white, flatters almost everyone and is especially complementary to lighter skin tones.
Ultimately, the choice of wedding dress colour is a personal one, and brides should choose a colour that makes them feel joyful and confident on their special day.
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Skin tone: certain colours flatter certain skin tones
Skin tone plays an essential role in choosing a wedding dress colour. The right colour will complement your skin tone, while the wrong one can leave you looking washed out or drained. To find the perfect colour, you first need to identify your skin tone and undertone. Most brides fall within the pale, fair, medium, olive, or dark skin tone categories. Undertones are either cool, neutral, or warm. To discover your undertone, look at the veins on the inside of your underarm – if they appear greenish or yellowish, you have a warm undertone, while blue or purple veins indicate a cool undertone. If you can't tell, or your veins look dark or brown, you have a neutral undertone.
If you have a lighter skin tone, colours like ivory and champagne may be washed out, especially outdoors. Instead, colours like blush and mocha will bring more life to your look. Ivory is also a great option for lighter skin tones, as the warm hue contrasts with cool undertones. If you have a darker skin tone, colours like navy blue or emerald green can work well outside but may appear dull indoors. Darker skin tones are generally flattered by bright colours such as ivory, pale yellow, and light grey. Charcoal satin is another excellent choice for darker complexures.
For fair skin, cool-toned colours like champagne and blush can be more flattering. For olive or tanned skin, warm-coloured wedding gowns such as off-white or cream will look beautiful. Mocha is another great option for brides with darker complexions or those who want the details of their dress to pop. For those with tanned or swarthy skin, white shades of the dress are suitable, as well as pink shades.
If you have a cool undertone, a wedding dress in bright white shades might not be the best option. Instead, warm up your skin with a dress that has a warm yellow or creamy finish, like ivory. If you’re looking for a more alternative bridal look, opt for pastel shades like cream or peach. For those with a neutral undertone, pretty much any dress shade will look great, but neutral and nude shades are amazing choices.
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Tradition: the history of white wedding dresses
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The dress was made from Spitalfields cream silk-satin with a flounce of Honiton lace at the neck and sleeves. It had a slim waist, a full crinoline petticoat, and lace embellishments—a silhouette that is still considered classic today.
Prior to Queen Victoria, royal brides wore a variety of colours, with red being one of the most popular choices. White dresses were reserved for women being presented at court. Debutantes were required to wear white court dresses and long white gloves for their first presentation at court.
As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread across the Atlantic and throughout Europe, fashionable people followed her lead. White became a popular option in 1840, and many brides opted for white in accordance with the Queen's choice. However, it would take several decades for white wedding dresses to become popular among middle-class brides in Europe and the US. Before the 20th century, when laundering techniques improved, white dresses were hard to maintain, and wedding gowns were often worn several times during a lifetime.
The colour white has since come to symbolise purity, innocence, and virginal purity in Western cultures. However, this symbolism was not the original reason for Queen Victoria's choice of dress colour. Instead, white was chosen to showcase wealth and prestige, as white dresses were more likely to be ruined by any sort of work or spill.
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Individuality: modern brides are choosing non-traditional colours
The colour of a wedding dress is an important choice for a bride-to-be, and it is often a reflection of her personality and style. While white wedding dresses have been the dominant choice in Western cultures since the mid-20th century, modern brides are increasingly choosing non-traditional colours to express their individuality.
The traditional choice of a white wedding dress stems from its symbolism of purity, grace, and later, virginity. White also represented wealth and prestige, as only those from wealthy families could afford a dress that could not be worn again. However, the colour white may not suit everyone, and it may wash out paler skin tones.
Today, weddings are becoming more personalised, with couples opting for unique venues and inventive ideas to reflect their personalities. Similarly, brides are choosing non-traditional wedding dress colours to showcase their individuality. These non-conventional dresses can come in a variety of colours, such as blush, champagne, gold, navy, or even bolder shades like red or black.
Leanne Marshall, for example, offers colourful, flowy wedding dresses made to order from silk and often hand-dyed in the US. BHLDN is another brand that caters to brides seeking luxury within the realm of non-traditional dresses. These options allow brides to express their unique style and personality while still maintaining an elegant bridal look.
For instance, a bride who wears red may be making a bold statement about her passionate and desiring nature. Orange conveys youthfulness, vitality, strength, and flamboyance, while yellow represents intelligence, wisdom, and a sense of humour. Green symbolises nature, compassion, inventiveness, and loyalty, and blue signifies peace, purity, and stability. These colours allow brides to communicate their feelings and personalities through their dress choice.
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Frequently asked questions
The colour of a wedding dress is only as important as the bride wants it to be. While white wedding dresses have traditionally symbolised purity and grace, this trend was started by Queen Victoria in the 19th century to showcase wealth and prestige. In the modern day, brides are increasingly choosing dresses in colours that flatter their skin tone and fit their desired aesthetic.
Pure white is the brightest and crispest shade of white, achieved by using bleached fabrics. Diamond white is slightly softer, and ivory has a warm, creamy undertone that imparts a golden glow.
In some cultures, colour remains an important factor in wedding dresses. Red symbolises passion and desire, orange conveys strength and flamboyance, yellow indicates intelligence and wisdom, green symbolises nature and loyalty, and blue signifies peace, purity and good luck.
In addition to white and ivory, popular wedding dress colours include champagne, blush, antique ivory, mauve, and black.
The right colour for your wedding dress is one that makes you feel joyful and confident. It may be a colour that you love or one that suits the style of your wedding. You may want to consider your skin tone when choosing a colour, as certain shades will complement your skin better than others.
