Why Brides Wear White Gowns

Marriage is an important part of human life among various cultures across the world. It is a moment of emotional and social transition for a bride and groom so most people hold dear the day of their marriage ceremony. Due to how special some people consider this day, the  kind of dress to wear is not something that is taken lightly especially for brides. Brides want to look their best on the special occasion. Mostly, the kind of dress a bride wears is cultural specific. Most cultures have the colour and type of dresses considered appropriate for a marriage ceremony. However the introduction of Christianity has necessitated the inclusion of a Christian wedding in a marriage process. People now combine traditional and Christian weddings sometimes known as “white weddings”. 

A white wedding originated from Britain and was first popular after Queen Victoria, who was then a queen to the United Kingdom of Great Britain, decided to wear a white lace dress at her wedding. Brides afterwards opted for white wedding gowns in accordance with the Queen’s choice. This became a trend which has now encapsulated the entire Western routine and has even extended to Asian and African routines. Everybody now wants to have a white wedding even after they have had a traditional one. Many people consider wearing a white gown as a special part of their marriage. As a result most brides always go in for white wedding gowns which is still being preferred by most people in this 21st century. A white dress means a lot to some brides and their families. 

Aside from the concept of white wedding dress originating from Britain, many people and different cultures consider the colour white to be a significant colour. White is associated with joy, light, goodness, purity and virginity. Therefore wearing of a white gown by some brides goes beyond it being a fashion statement. A white gown symbolizes virginity, prosperity and life time commitment. In some traditions where the virginity of a woman is considered dear and cherished, most families would not have their bride wear any other colour aside white. This is because wearing of white brings some honour to the bride's family since the colour white is associated with purity and virginity

However today, most of these meanings given to the wearing of white gowns for weddings are gone. Some people choose to wear white gowns because almost everyone is wearing it while others wear it because they see it to be beautiful. Due to this the designs and styles of white wedding gowns have never remained the same. New styles have been created over the years to suit the expectations of every period.  

White wedding gown is believed to make a bride appear unique and exceptional therefore it is a common formality for respectful wedding guests to never wear white dress to a wedding. This is because the person is likely to take part of the attention meant to be all for the bride. It is believed that a bride should always be the one to stand out and all other dresses worn by guests at a wedding ground should not exceed that of a bride.

That notwithstanding there have been brides who considered other colors of wedding gowns much more fashionable. Some people prefer to “rock” different colors of wedding gowns other than white. Some people go in for pink gowns, red gowns, purple and even black, which is considered a color of bad luck in most cultures. Now such cultural meanings to colors do no longer hold and brides explore all other colors of wedding gowns. Despite this, white wedding gowns are still dominant and preferred by most people.