White is the traditional wedding gown color in Western culture, but white did not become a popular option until 1840, after the wedding of Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria had worn a white gown for the event so as to incorporate some lace she owned. The tradition continues today in the form of a white wedding. Although, 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.) The white gown is in fact a symbolic Christening Gown.
Today the tradition continues as white is worn by more than 95% of brides on their wedding day. However, wedding white comes in many different shades. Whether its pure white, ivory, eggshell, champagne, diamond white, cream, candlelight or something in between, as a bride, you have a wide variety of whites to select from. Many argue that choosing the shade of your wedding gown is almost as challenging as choosing the style of the gown itself.
There is something special to be said for each specific shade of white. Some argue that it’s a balance of your skin tone and your wedding colors and that somehow along the way you discover the perfect white for your wedding. I don’t all together disagree, but there is just something about a pure white that I can never get away from. Pure white is bright, crisp, delicate, fresh and timeless and can be found in many fabrics including cotton, dyed satin and polyester. It’s in my (humble) opinion that any bride, pale skinned or dark would look radiant in a pure white gown. Don’t get me wrong, I love color – bright & soft, cream or ivory, but stark white is, for me, the clear winner in this race.
