Why Are Wedding Dresses White?

Here comes the bride! All dressed in white! When we think about weddings and brides, usually an image of a bride dressed head to toe in a gorgeous white wedding dress and veil is the first thing that comes to mind. While trends and styles change over time, the white wedding gown remains a staple for brides throughout the decades. However, have you ever taken a moment though to wonder how the tradition of the white wedding dress came to be? Let’s talk about the history behind why wedding dresses are white!

Many of us are familiar with the connection between purity and the color white, and this idea that white symbolizes a young girl saving herself for marriage. While this may be a principle that many people followed, contrary to popular belief, the white wedding dress did not develop from this practice. (Fun Fact: back in the day the color blue was actually considered to be closer to purity!) No, we can actually thank a 19th century queen for being a trendsetter way back when, and helping pave the way in fashion for brides following in the next two centuries.

Prior to the wedding of Queen Victoria, brides would wear a wide variety of different colors on their wedding day. From the biblical era to the early 1800s brides could be found dressed in browns, reds, to even terra cotta colors. In 1840 however, the wedding between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made waves among the people as one of the first “celebrity” weddings in history. Today, celebrity and royal weddings are always highlighted in the media for the glamor, spectacle, and also prestige that follows them; the same goes for this wedding between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Their wedding was one of the 1st heavily photographed weddings in modern history, which allowed the public to have an eye in to the experience and fashion of the night.

On her wedding day, Queen Victoria was an icon, a legend, and she was the moment. Queen Victoria dressed in a white flower crown, white veil, and white ball gown wedding dress that was truly fit for a queen. With an open neckline, perfectly tailored bodice and an eighteen foot train that was carried by 12 of her attendants, Queen Victoria’s white wedding gown was a complete showstopper. Because her wedding look was truly so iconic, others wanted to emulate her image for years to come. Wealthier briders who looked up to Queen V wanted to mirror her look (imitation really is the highest form of flattery) and soon white not only became a color connected to weddings, but also the color white began to signify wealth and a person’s status in society.

Fast forward one hundred years later, post World War II, the white wedding gown re-emerged in popularity. We all know that a wedding dress is so much more than just a dress. It represents a major milestone in a couple's life, and another major milestone people celebrated during this time was the ending of the war and men returning home. As the war was ending, the supply chain for silk and other fabrics decreased, which meant brides had to become crafty with how and where they got their wedding dress. With these sentiments in mind, many brides actually created their white wedding gowns out of the parachutes of their husbands who returned home.

Over the course of time, while the wedding dress continues to develop and change with the trends and times of fashion, the popularity of the color white for wedding gowns still remains at the forefront of the wedding industry.. According to The Wedding Wire in 2021, 85% of brides purchased a white wedding gowns for their big day (which technically was down 10% from 5 years prior, but is still a vast majority of brides).

Now that we’ve talked through the popularity of a white wedding dress, perhaps you are someone who wants to march to the beat of your own drums on your wedding day. Non-White wedding dresses are an incredible way to stand out as a bride and honestly, many Non-Western cultures traditionally wear beautiful wedding attire that is not white! Let’s talk through different ways you can rock a non-white outfit on your wedding day!

Are you a bride that is here for the drama? Well, black wedding dresses are an elegant, chic, and striking way to stand out as a bride. On social media black wedding dresses have been popping off, especially for fall and winter weddings.

Perhaps you do want to dabble with a non-traditional wedding dress color, but don’t want to go in a completely different direction from white. Well, off-white gowns are a way to still have that classic bridal look without going with the purest white dress.

Around the world, especially in eastern Asian cultures, it is common for brides to be dressed in wedding dresses of all colors. In both India and China, brides often wear the color red on their wedding day to represent good luck and auspiciousness! Indian weddings are know for the bright and colorful attire worn by the bridal party and guests who attend the wedding. Indian brides are usually dressed in their wedding saris which are traditionally red, but in recent years come in a variety of bright beautiful colors.At Chinese weddings and tea ceremonies, brides will traditionally wear a ceremonial red gown.

Queenly is proud to be a partner with East Meets Dress! East Meets Dress is an incredible bridal dress company for the modern Chinese bride.

Blog Sources:
A Brief History Of The White Wedding Dress
The (Surprising!) History of the White Wedding Dress
18 Colored Wedding Dresses for the Bride Who's Anything But Basic
How Traditional Wedding Outfits Look Around The World (38 Pics)