Why Is Wedding Dresses White

This tradition is a fairly recent development however until the mid 1800s and even through much of the 20th century wedding dresses were merely formal dresses that could be reused for any special occasion.

Why is wedding dresses white. In looking at white wedding dress history you might be surprised to learn that white has not always been the color of choice for wedding dresses in western culture nor is it necessarily the symbol of purity commonly thought. White wedding dresses royal weddings have generally offered an excuse for spectacle and public celebration from the lavish parade to st paul s made by the doomed prince arthur and his bride catherine of aragon in 1501 to the televised ceremonies of princes william and harry in recent years. The origin of the white wedding dress. Wedding ceremonies have existed in many cultures for centuries but the western wedding gown as we know it white and once in a lifetime extravagant hasn t always been the norm for brides.

For many centuries in western societies wedding dresses were of all different colors. In western cultures the wedding dress is most commonly white which fashion was made popular by queen victoria when she married in 1840. A white wedding is a traditional formal or semi formal wedding originating in great britain. In fact other colors were chosen far more frequently than white.

The term originates from the white colour of the wedding dress which first became popular with victorian era elites after queen victoria wore a white lace dress at her wedding. In fact white wedding dresses only came into fashion in the mid 19th century and became customary in the mid 20th century. More often than not though you will hear claims that brides wear white because it s tradition but historically white was not the only color considered for wedding dresses. Before then colored dresses were the norm for brides of all classes.

In eastern cultures brides often choose red. Pristine white fairy tale wedding dresses to be worn once and then tucked away weren t the standard until relatively recently. But it wasn t until 1840 when queen victoria married prince albert that the white dress was made popular. The white wedding dress now a common tradition in the western world originated with anne of brittany on the occasion of her marriage to louis xii of france in 1499.

In western society it is traditional for a new bride to wear a white wedding dress at the ceremony often with a matching veil. It was a crucial moment for fashion in the history of royal weddings though victoria s choice of a white dress was frowned upon by english aristocrats because white traditionally symbolized mourning according to rebecca rissman s 2016 book women in. The color style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.