I always thought I would be the bride who went all the way traditional with every aspect of my wedding. Anyone who knows me would expect this. But since I have been planning I've found that many of the traditions we have all come to know and expect from weddings are not really what they seem. For instance, when I started wedding dress shopping, I was introduced to colors I didn't even know existed (Eggshell, ecru? Aren't they both off-white?). So this brought up for me the issue of whether these colors counted as white, and if not, could I wear them for my wedding without causing scandal ("You're not wearing white? Are you a virgin?"). Heaven forbid I cause scandal at my own wedding!
After careful research, I have discovered that the white wedding dress is not a time-honored tradition, but a relatively recent arbitrary invention born of fashion. The Wikipedia article says it all:
"White did not become a popular option until 1840, after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Victoria had worn a white gown for the event
so as to incorporate some lace she owned. The official wedding portrait photograph was widely published, and many other brides opted for a similar dress in honor of the Queen's choice. The tradition continues today in the form of a white wedding, though prior to the Victorian era, a bride was married in any color except black (the color of mourning) or red (which was connected with prostitutes). Later, many people assumed that the color white was intended to symbolize virginity, though this had not been the original intention. (It was the color blue that was connected to purity.) Today, the white dress is understood merely as the most traditional and popular choice for weddings, not necessarily a statement of virginity" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_dress).
It is also a fact that a woman's wedding dress back in the day was worn many times after her wedding, and therefore it was impractical to buy a white dress since it would be harder to keep clean and would wear out much faster. So it also became a mark of wealth and high standing to wear a white dress, because it meant you could afford to buy a dress you would most likely only wear a handful of times. Poorer women could not afford this luxury, and often wore their best Sunday dress to their wedding.
In light of these findings, I have opted to wear a bright orange ballgown. Psych!
