Why Does A Bride Wear On Her White Wedding Day?

Although more and more brides are choosing an even more modern wedding dress for themselves today, most Western women planning a wedding still end up in a white dress. But do you know why a bride wears a white wedding day? To this we will tell below the answer and at the same time introduce a few other wedding traditions.

Why does the bride wear on her white wedding day?

Origin

While it would be easy to assume that brides have always worn white when they get married, this assumption is not true. Although this tradition seems to have a long history in the past, the truth is that it was not until the 20th century that white became prevalent in bridal wedding dresses.

The color of the wedding dress in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, brides could dress in different colors on their wedding day. For example, in 1660, Maria Teresia, the wife of King Louis XIV of France, wore a black wedding dress on her wedding day.

In the 19th century, the elite wore white

It was not until the 19th century that brides began to wear white. In 1840, the Queen of England’s wedding dress was white in color. Queen Victoria’s wedding is the most spectacular in English history and was also celebrated on newspaper pages around the world.

The paintings also show that the queen’s wedding dress was white in color. Queen Victoria even posed for the camera in her white wedding dress when photography became possible.

After seeing Queen Victoria’s glorious wedding dress, all the women wanted to celebrate similar fairytale weddings and the color of the wedding dress became white.

Although until the 20th century only rich and influential women wore white wedding dresses, it did begin with the dominance of white in women’s wedding dresses. Eventually, women of all social classes began to wear on their white wedding day and it became the official color of the bride.

The meaning of the white wedding dress

The meaning of the white wedding dress has remained the same, although the years have rolled over. When the bride dresses in white, she wants to convey purity, innocence and sincerity. 

While the meaning and dominance of white has not changed, some brides wear different shades of white in their dresses, which has not been very common before.

Natural white and ivory are very common colors in today’s wedding dresses. So when choosing a wedding dress for a big day, there is plenty of choice.

Other wedding traditions

Something new

When a bride wears something new, it symbolizes the changes and new experiences that will come with marriage. It can be something simple, as most of what a bride wears on her wedding day is new.

For example, the wedding dress above the bride is usually new, so it may represent “something new” that the bride will wear while respecting this tradition.

Something old

Similarly, when “something new” symbolizes the future, wearing “something old” creates it as a symbol of the past. When a bride is wearing something old, it indicates the continuation of kinship and friendship even after she marries. The accessories or objects used to support this tradition are often heirlooms or, for example, the veil worn by the mother or grandmother.

Many brides today violate this cliché by leaving relatives and friends behind her when they get married. Instead, brides want to show that they are still the same as before. However, this tradition can be respected by using an everyday object such as a favorite perfume or lipstick.

Something borrowed

When a bride wears “something borrowed” on her wedding day, it symbolizes that the person from whom she borrows the item in question is allowed to share this happy moment with the bride. Usually, the person who gives the bride “something borrowed” is already married herself, and thus wants to convey happiness and wisdom by lending an object to the bride.

Something blue

The fact that the bride is wearing “something blue” does not violate the tradition of dressing in white, but is her own wedding tradition. The color blue symbolizes love and loyalty to the partner. 

“Something blue” can be moderately incorporated into an accessory, such as a garter. It can also be used more eye-catchingly, for example in shoes.