Did You Know? "Traditional" Wedding Gown Colors

White and ivory are commonly understood to be the "traditional" colors for a young, virgin bride, while women getting married for the second time or later in life are "supposed to" wear something other than white.  In reality, any bride can choose any color for her special day.  Wearing white is really only a Western custom, and has only been popular for the last 170 years or so.  In colonial America, yellow was the most popular choice for wedding gowns.  In India, China, and Vietnam today, red is still considered traditional for brides, because it symbolizes good luck.

Red tulle bridal gown with silver metallic embroidery

White is actually a color of mourning in many parts of the world.  However, Queen Victoria wore a white bridal gown in 1840, and it has been the fad ever since.  White has also come to be associated with purity, although blue used to carry that meaning.  Of course, there are many folk sayings that have seeped into popular culture that have to do with weddings.  One such saying focused on color is the following:  

Married in White, you have chosen right, 

Married in Blue, your love will always be true, 

Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl, 

Married in Brown, you’ll never live in town, 

Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead, 

Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow, 

Married in Green, ashamed to be seen, 

Married in Pink, your spirit will sink, 

Married in Grey, you will go far away, 

Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.

Café satin gown with ivory lace appliqués

Laura Ingalls Wilder was married in a black dress, as it happened to be her best dress at the time.  That's exactly what brides used to wear - their best dress.  Today the bridal gown has become its own entity, often the single most important purchase a woman will make for her wedding.  Modern brides don't always want to follow all of the "rules" of society's expectations, and search out new bridal colors such as silver, blush, champagne, gold, and blue, or go bold with red.  

Blush taffeta asymmetrical gown with beaded bodice

What you wear on your wedding should be up to you.  Your dress should make you feel comfortable, and most importantly, make you feel like you.  

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Let's Talk Skirts

The skirt of a formal gown really can have the biggest impact on the overall look and feel of the gown.  With so much material typically in the skirt, there is quite the opportunity to wow.  Having an understanding of the basic skirt shapes will help you better define what you're looking for when shopping for a formal gown - whether it be bridal, prom, mother or maid.


There are four basic skirt shapes, which define the overall silhouette of the gown - Sheath, Mermaid, A-Line, and Ballgown.  

This may seem like a limited selection, but once you start mixing and matching skirt styles with necklines, fabric types, sleeves, embellishments and styling - all of which will be covered in subsequent posts - the possibilities really are endless.

Sheath:  This is the slimmest skirt style, and fits very closely to the body.  Often a sheath skirt will have a slit to allow for movement when walking.

All-Over Lace Sheath

Mermaid:  Also known as Trumpet or Fit-and-Flare, this style hugs the body down past the hips, then flares out from around the knees. 

Beaded/Ruffle Organza Mermaid

A-Line:  This style is so named because it resembles the capital letter A.  The skirt fits close at the waist, and flares smoothly out to the hem, which can be quite full.

Tulle/Lace A-Line

Ballgown:  This is the fullest skirt style, although the degree of fullness varies with the amount and type of fabric.  The fabric of the skirt is gathered into the waist, so it flares out in all directions directly from the waist seam.  Tulle is a common fabric for ballgown skirts, and calls to mind a romantic ballerina tutu.  Satin and Taffeta are also often used for this type of skirt, and can evoke a fairy princess feeling.

            Leopard Metallic Net Prom Ballgown                         Tulle Bridal Ballgown

Next week we'll discuss necklines, so be sure to check back for more updates!  

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Tis the Season

Once again Christmas has gone and the New year begun. Our brides are bustling to make their decision. With so many choices how does one determine what is their best style? We have received so many new gowns in that it is difficult to choose the most beautiful.

How is a girl to make that imperative decision? We suggest that you purchase three or maybe four of the major bridal publications. There are so many to choose from today. Each has its focal group. I shall Blog on that later this week.

After you purchase your magazines you will find them filled with a wealth of knowledge for making the correct choices for your special occasion. I suggest that you purchase some sticky tabs in multiple colors. Then as you go through the magazine mark certain things with a particular color. For instance make all the bridal gowns you love pink, the tuxedo's blue, the flowers yellow and so on and so forth. Then when you head out on your shopping trip you will be better able to help the bridal associates assist you.

Considerations I might suggest in making your decision are the location, time of day and number of guests. You should think about how you want the pictures or memories of your special day to look in years to come. If you are having a simple back yard wedding you may choose a different style than you might should the ceremony be held at the beach or in the church.

An earlier day time wedding, which includes anything before four o'clock in the after noon should be kept fairly simple and informal. The evenings are more appropriate for a formal wedding ceremony. What ever your choice your special day can be beautiful and memorable when orchestrated correctly.

A well educated associate will normally be able to look at your photos and be able to define what your style might be. If an associate does not ask you a specific question then you should feel free to guide her in that direction, i.e.: I love the mermaid style, but sophisticated like a movie star. Or maybe you are more the Barbie style mermaid gown? At any rate, never be afraid to tell the sales associates any parameters that you already know you need to work within.

The photos are very helpful as far as giving a very clear picture without knowing all the intricate terminology. I have found it can save a lot of miss communications as often people will have two different definitions in mind when using a particular term.

Congratulations and happy hunting.

Dwin