There are many factors that will dictate which wedding dress you choose. From the hottest seasonal wedding trends to your own personal style, there’s a lot to consider. Brides of today also have many more colour options to choose from, which can make the entire wedding dress shopping experience somewhat confusing.
Traditionally, the colour of the wedding dress would have bigger significance than simply being a style choice. It could even influence how successful the union with your soon-to-be husband or wife was!
Whilst most of us are familiar with the meaning of a white wedding dress in Western culture – white wedding gowns symbolise purity and have been traditionally worn by brides since Queen Victoria made them popular. There are other colours that may provide more suitable symbolism for you and your hopes for the future. In this blog post, we dig deeper into wedding dress colours and their meanings.
Ivory
Whilst most categorise ivory dresses as white, the meanings of both wedding dress colours couldn’t be more different. White has been a sign of purity and innocence since it became popular in the 19th Century. Yet, to some people, ivory represents a tainted purity that was traditionally very scandalous.
During the modern day, ivory is in fact more popular than bright white thanks to its figure-flattering hue and compatibility with multiple skin tones.
Black
From light to dark, black is actually a more fitting shade than most people think for weddings. More commonly associated with funerals, black is traditionally linked with elegance and sophistication as well as mystery and sexuality.
Pink
Pink is a delicate shade that has become particularly popular amongst brides in recent years. It’s also a colour that’s connected with innocence, femininity, romance and playfulness making it the perfect fit for brides looking to think outside of the box without going too ‘out there’.
Yellow
Whether opting for a standout shade of yellow or a more pared-back pale colour, yellow’s connection to happiness, adventure and intelligence certainly isn’t lost on modern-day brides.
Gold
The colour gold is linked with wealth and elegance. But more fittingly, wearing gold represents happiness and wisdom, two things every newlywed hopes to have to negotiate the ups and downs of married life.
In the modern day, gold is a versatile shade that looks great on any bride. It also provides a standout style that’s certain to be a show-stopper.
Red
Despite being the colour of love, red isn’t a popular wedding dress shade in Western culture. It’s an entirely different story in Eastern culture however as The Urban Wedding Company reveals:
“A red wedding dress is a sign of good luck in many cultures. In China, red is the colour of happiness, and it is traditional for brides to wear red on their wedding day. In India, a red wedding dress is often seen as a sign of fertility and prosperity. In Western culture, a bride wearing a red wedding dress is often thought to be daring and unique.”
As well as being a sign of good luck, red is connected to happiness, fertility and prosperity making it a popular colour option for brides in China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam. It’s actually unlucky to wear a white wedding dress in these countries!
