Wedding dresses with color

The tradition of white wedding dresses, rather than colored wedding dresses is a fairly recent development in terms of the history of bridal gowns. It wasn't until the Victorian era (and the cheaper cost of materials that the industrial revolution afforded) that a distinct emphasis was placed on the color white and its symbolism of feminine purity and chastity.

Prior to this era wedding dresses with color were the norm rather than the exception. Colors usually reflected local culture and traditions, or perhaps the color of the ruling noble house and many times if the bride was part of a working class family then the wedding gown was just the color of the best dress the bride owned.

In modern times there are many reasons to choose colored bridal gowns: perhaps the color harmonizes with the bridesmaids dresses and the wedding theme, or the bride wants to make a bold statement while oozing sassiness, or perhaps it was love at first site with that stunning head-turner colored wedding dress which will be a talked about for months after the wedding. But what ever the reason, colored wedding gowns usually suit forward thinkers unbound by (sometimes) irrelevant traditions.

Ideas for wedding dresses with color

Red Bridal Gowns

The color red is nothing new to wedding ceremonies it has been a part of ancient Muslim, Indian and Chinese cultures for millennia. The color red is associated with good luck and fertility. More about red bridal gowns.

Pink Bridal Gowns

Why are pink wedding gowns such a fantastic choice? Pink is unique, feminine and symbolizes passion and love. Plus pink is a color that compliments a wide range of skin tones!

Black Bridal Gowns

Why a black bridal gown, are you a Goth? Actually black bridal gowns have been used in many cultures for centuries. In Spain some Roman Catholic brides still will wear black bridal gowns as a symbol of devotion to their partner until death. And how quickly history is forgotten, in Western cultures black gowns were seen as a statement of wealth.

Black is slimming, classy, and, because it's a very common color for formal occasions, a black wedding gown can be used again, unlike white wedding gowns which largely get shelved.

Champagne or Gold Bridal Gowns

Not only for golden wedding anniversaries, gold is a sophisticated and warm color that compliments a variety of skin tones. Gold also gives the possibility of gorgeous color combinations for your bridesmaids, flower girls and general wedding theme. See gold bridal gowns for more ideas.

Blue Bridal Dress

One can argue that the color blue is more traditional than white. In fact the color blue was associated with the Virgin Mary and was worn to symbolize purity, chastity, and faithfulness. The white wedding gown, instead, gained popularity as a symbol of wealth in the mid 19th Century. More about the blue bridal dress.

Lavender or Purple Wedding Dress

Purple traditionally represents royalty, luxury, authority, creativity and is a deeply spiritual color. Only a bride from a very wealthy medieval families could wear a purple wedding dress, this was due to the outrageous price of purple dye.
There are many shades of purple including lilac to lavender, what better color for a fun creative wedding theme?!

For ideas on how to incorporate wedding dresses with color into your wedding theme see tips and advice about colored bridal gowns.

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