Why Wedding Dresses Are White? Fun Facts About Wedding Dresses That Will Open Your Eyes

Many people think wedding dresses have to be white without thinking. They will say “Because every bride wears a white wedding dress!” However, that’s not a good explanation.

If you ever wonder “why wedding dresses are white?”, you will find a better answer in this post. Plus, I will also share some ideas and fun facts about wedding dresses with you.

Next time, when you have a conversation with your friends about wedding dresses, you can tell them why wedding dresses are white and share some interesting knowledge with them too!

Why Wedding Dresses Are White?

Wedding Dresses Were Not White

They were not white in the beginning. In the past, when women got married, they wore blue (which symbolized purity), red, green, pink, black, and other colors depending on their taste or status.

When you look at some paintings about royal weddings before the 19th century, you will realize that the brides did not wear white wedding dresses. Instead, their wedding gowns were splendid and luxurious. For instance, the colors could be partially gold or silver, made of costly jewels and noble fabrics like velvet, satin, and silk.

What Happened? And Who Was The Trendsetter?

Why wedding dresses are white for over 100 years?

It was because of Queen Victoria’s single choice.

When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840, she chose to wear a “white” wedding dress made of silk and lace, which was unusual and remarkable at the time.

Since then, women started wearing white wedding dresses including the royals, ladies, and even maids. (That doesn’t mean all the brides wore white at their wedding since 1840, of course, there are some exceptions.)

At first, only the wealthy were able to do this. It was impractical for the unwealthy to wear white wedding dresses that get dirty easily.

By the 1920s, Western ladies only chose white for their wedding dresses and later on, everybody thought wedding dresses should be white. (By the way, I think it’s not a bad thing for some people. If you need to choose the color and the design of your wedding dress among so many options, that will be exhausting. When white is the default color, you just need to choose the design. Less work and less anxiety!)

And now wearing a white wedding dress is a convention we all know about.

Queen Victoria was one of the most influential trendsetters I have ever known. And you know what? I don’t think she ever intended to lead the fashion!

But it’s not simply because Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress. There was a profound meaning behind it that changed the color of nearly every bride’s wedding dress…

White Wedding Dresses Were Overly Romanticized

Prince Albert was her true love. According to Queen Victoria’s journal, she proposed to Albert in 1839. They married out of genuine love instead of a political policy, which was common for royals in the past.

A white wedding dress generally reminds people of true love, purity, and chastity and makes women fantasize about a romantic wedding whether in the past or nowadays. Even though today a lot of people don’t know why wedding dresses are white, they still have a fantasy about it. It is something most little girls and unmarried women dream about. Perhaps most brides wear white on their big day because they desire to wear it rather than follow the rules.

Who Says White Wedding Dresses Have To Be Modest?

What is your ideal wedding dress? For some women who value traditions or love vintage aesthetics, their ideal wedding dresses may be long, laced, feminine, and modest. On the other hand, for free spirits, they may want something opposite or really unique. There is no good or bad, right or wrong for either side. It’s all about personal taste!

Here are some uncommon white wedding dress ideas that could amaze you. (Especially the third one!) If you are going to wear a wedding dress one day, these ideas may give you some inspiration. If you have worn a wedding dress already, have fun to look at these wedding dresses!

It Can Be Short

When actress Sharon Tate got married in 1968, she wore a very short cream color wedding dress. With Juliet sleeves, tights, low-heel pumps, and an ethereal hairstyle, she looked so cute and lovely like a beautiful doll! Also, her wedding look perfectly embodied the iconic look of the late 1960s. At that time, minimal shift dresses, very short mini skirts and mini dresses (also known as microminis), tights, Mary Jane shoes and low-heel shoes were hot items.

I Want This!

It Can Be Mannish

When Bianca Jagger married Mick Jagger in 1971, she wore a white skirt suit and a floppy hat with a veil. I like her choice of wearing conflicting items together. (Traditionally) The blazer is mannish, and the flowy long skirt and floppy hat are feminine. (Maybe she didn’t think like that, but anyway) This combination formed a rare and one-of-a-kind wedding look. In addition, the blazer naturally made a plunging neckline, which showed a touch of sexiness.

I Want This!

It seems like wearing a white suit or blazer dress is currently a small trend among some women. I saw one of my friends wearing a white skirt suit (with a mini skirt) for her wedding. It suited her beautifully and I love that she chose a “skirt suit” instead of a traditional “wedding dress”. Moreover, I came across pictures of people wearing white blazer dresses and white suits (with pants) for weddings on the internet.

It’s great that more and more modern women have creative and open minds and are unafraid to express their unique opinions! Who says every woman has to wear a traditional wedding dress at their wedding, right?

It Can Be Sensational

This is one of the most sensational wedding looks I have heard of. Are you ready?

In 2006, actress Pamela Anderson’s wedding look was a white bikini and high heels!!! (Technically, it’s not a wedding dress. But let’s not be so harsh to it.) She also wore a white captain hat and chandelier earrings. What a cool bride!

I’ll let you imagine as you want. If you’re really curious, you can google it.

Did you notice that? Although white is the go-to color of a wedding dress, brides often choose a design that not only reflects their personal preferences but also the trends!

Do Wedding Dresses Have To Be White?

This is another common question other than “why wedding dresses are white?”.

The quick answer is Absolutely No.

There are many celebrities who didn’t wear white wedding dresses when they got married. For example, Marilyn Monroe wore a dark brown skirt suit as her wedding dress for her second marriage. With a white fur collar on the jacket, she looked extra endearing and striking.

I Want This!

Here are a few more examples:

• Gwen Stefani’s wedding dress was white and pink. It is a dip-dyed dress that the upper part is white and the lower part is pink. The gradation is ethereal and the dress reminds me of pink roses. (If you want to wear white and other colors as well, why not wear both?)
• Christine Quinn wore a traditional full-length wedding dress in black. It was a stunning wedding dress indeed.
• Elizabeth Taylor who got married 8 times in her life wore wedding dresses in different colors and designs. If you luckily have a chance to get married multiple times, you can just have fun with your wedding dresses like her!

Actually, when celebrities do something unusual, it’s good material for the press. They will stand out and be remembered for a long time, which is beneficial for their career. But that’s just another point of view.

Back to the topic. Although white is the primary color, when you are the bride, you get to choose what to wear on your big day regardless of what others think about you. It’s your life, it’s your wedding, and it’s your chance. Not others’.

If your heart wants to wear a white wedding dress, then go for it. If you desire to wear a wedding dress that is not white, maybe a black, rainbow, or printed wedding dress, why not? When you do that, you will be a memorable bride for sure. Besides, you can give the bridesmaids and guests the chance to wear white, isn’t that cool?

Most importantly, don’t let yourself regret it after the wedding! Usually, if you make decisions by following your heart, you will be content or accept even if you don’t like it afterward. And if you listen to others’ opinions unwillingly, you may blame them when the result is unpleasant. Anyway, let’s take responsibility for our own decisions and also respect other brides’ choices of their wedding dresses.

Who Says Wedding Dresses Have To Be Expensive?

Wedding dresses used to be worn again and again. But in modern days, many wedding dresses were worn only once. Here comes the question: Is it worth spending a great amount of money you made through your blood, sweat, and tears for a wedding dress you will never wear again?

It could be a wonderful experience, but on the other hand, it is such a waste and bad impact on our environment. I feel sorry for those wedding dresses too.

Many people think wearing an expensive wedding dress is normal and they just accept it because that’s what everybody does. What if… you don’t have to?

Maybe you can easily change your mind like this:
A diamond ring is beautiful indeed. But when I think that it’s just a ring with a rare shiny stone. It sounds less attractive to me, therefore, I don’t have a strong desire for it.

Instead of following the “trend” by overspending money on a diamond ring or wedding dress, I want you to know that you have the option to wear an affordable one, save some money, and spend it on something more meaningful.

If wearing an expensive wedding dress feels like pressure to you, maybe it’s time to consider renting the dreamiest wedding dress that you like or buying a practical wedding dress that you will wear multiple times.