Should wedding dresses always be white?

Question

I recently got engaged and I've been looking at wedding dresses. My family is really pushing for me to get a traditional white gown, but I want something a little different. I was thinking about either a blush or peach gown. Me and my Fiancé talked and he doesn't have a problem with it. It's mainly just my family. I don't plan on changing my mind, but I was just wondering what other's thought on the topic. Should wedding gowns always be white?

Answer 1

No, a wedding gown does not have to be white. Nope, no way. You can wear whatever color you wish.



I always find it so interesting that other people think they have say or push their thoughts onto a bride as to what she should be doing and wearing on her wedding day. If brides could just stop talking about all of their wedding plans, they would not find themselves defending their choices.



If anyone asks what color dress you are wearing, you can simply say "you will see for yourself when I get married" or "after the wedding, I will share photos of the event".



Heck, I know a motorcycle dude who had a custom made leather tux waist coat with tails made to wear on his wedding day with blue jeans, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and a white t-shirt!!

Answer 2

They should ALWAYS be WHATEVER color the bride wants. She's the one wearing it after all

Answer 3

These days you can wear any colour or style of dress you want for your wedding. My wedding dress was black on the top, Ivory on the bottom with a rhinestone belt in the middle. My family knows that I don't like wearing all white and they were fine with the dress I chose, because it suited me better then the white dresses I tried on.

Some people can be very traditional when it comes to wedding dresses, but they don't always have to be white.

If you don't want white then you will have to stand up for your self and tell them you don't want a white dress.

Answer 4

I use to be a bridal sale person. Most brides look much better in an ivory or blush color.

My daughter had a golden dark ivory color. It was so elegant

A dash of pale blue or lite pink is trending now.



I got a white dress for my mom. One thing I regret. The dark ivory I wanted would of been so much prettier, the details of the dress show up so much more.

Answer 5

Now is the time to start making your own decisions and sticking to them.

Pick what you want, and don't discuss it with anyone else. When you start asking what other people think, they believe they have a say in the decision.



As others have said, white wedding gowns started because they couldn't possibly be reworn for any other purpose. It was to show off wealth- less well funded brides simply got a new dress they then wore afterwards. They could be any color but black (that was for mourning), and in some cases were even plaid.



If you want a pale pink gown, go right ahead. It sounds lovely. Just remember that marriage isn't for sissies, and if there is a murmur among your relatives, you are to give them a smile and a solid look of determination, and take no guff from anybody. There is no law and no rule, and they aren't wearing it.

Answer 6

No, they should be any color the bride wants. Blush ones are pretty! Peach could be nice, depending on your skin tone.

I like silver or gold too, though black or red seem a bit "bold".

Answer 7

White is traditional especially for virgins. Besides that, there is no guidance on any wedding wear.

Answer 8

Usually they are white unless you've been married before. But it's up to you.

Answer 9

Wedding dresses can be any color you want .

https://www.google.com/search?q=wedding+dresses+that+are+not+white&client=firefox-b-1-ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj10YT9uNvcAhVRQ6wKHS6WCIIQsAR6BAgBEAE&biw=1280&bih=597&dpr=1.25

Answer 10

The tradition of a white gown was to signify purity and virginity. Since fewer brides are virgins these days, wearing white is sort of a hypocrisy. Wear what you like.

Answer 11

No. No. NO. A wedding dress should be whatever color the bride wants. I've seen many gowns in blush, pale gold, pink, light blue, and jewel shades of ruby, emerald, sapphire, and amethyst. You can wear whatever makes you feel beautiful and special.

Answer 12

No. You do what you want.

Answer 13

No. They can be any color or style you want. You don't even have to wear a dress if you don't want to.

Answer 14

Its YOUR wedding. Wear what makes you happy. It's no one else's business what you wear.

Answer 15

Every culture is different, in my culture you aren’t allowed to wear a white dress if you have previously been married or you aren’t a virgin, I have an Asian friend that when she married she will have to wear a bright red dress, everyone is different but myself personally feel as though every bride should wear what they feel they want to, it’s usually a one off day for the couple so do as you feel, good luck

Answer 16

No, of course not. The bigger question is who is paying for the dress and the wedding, and how willing you are to upset your family. You also have to ask yourself WHY you feel so strongly about the color already? Is it just to prove you are edgy or hip or independent? Why not take a step back and look at dresses in a variety of colors (white, cream, ivory, blush, etc.) and or with accent colors? Find the dress you love, and it won't matter to anyone what color it is. Act like a pouty toddler, and you'll upset people for no good reason.

Answer 17

On the one hand, all that bull biscuit about white dresses and virginity is just ... well, bull biscuit. But on the other hand, it may be that your choice to not wear white will create awkwardness for family members and these family members may consider it quite selfish of you to subject them to this awkwardness on grounds so whimsical as "I want something a little different." Usually it's a good idea to "go along to get along" with family -- not always, but usually. Is this a battle worth fighting, a hill worth dying for?



Added later after reading other answers: It is unfortunate that some brides view their wedding as an extension of teen age rebellion, as an opportunity to pugnaciously set themselves up in opposition to their families not for a matter of great import but simply for the sake of asserting "I'm not doing what you want and you can't make me." It's troubling that so many respondents in this section encourage brides to take an adversarial rather than conciliatory tone where their family's preferences differ from their own. Isn't there enough discord in families without eagerly embracing opportunities to increase that discord? "Let's try to work something out that we can both live with" is better than "It's MY wedding and I do as I damn well please."

Answer 18

It depends

Answer 19

No, my wedding dress was a very light sterling silver by vera wang it was beautiful. It was my first wedding but my second marriage.

Answer 20

most weddings dresses are not true white.

If you want dress shows, someone is marring someone in the navy, need a true white wedding dress, it's hard to fine.

Most white wedding dresses are shades of off white including ivory and blush.

To day you could get dresses in silver, bright pink, black, etc.



Blush is a traditional wedding color for dresses for years.



If they went in the bridal shop and asked for a traditional true white wedding dress, they will not have a lot

Answer 21

Around the world wedding dresses come in all colors. In Europe or USA its traditionally white but if you like something different, then pick out what YOU want. Its your wedding - not your parents or family. I think a light peach color gown would look great. Keep in mind what colors your bridesmaids will be wearing.





BTW you know that white doesn't symbolize purity/virgin. White gowns were the color richer people wore in Europe because white clothes were harder to keep clean and it was a sign of wealth if you could afford white clothes.

Answer 22

There is no law or rule stating that wedding gowns must be white.



White has nothing to do with virginity or purity (traditionally speaking, that color is actually blue). It's merely a fashion trend that caught on. A trend that started as a showcase of one's wealth (because an elaborate white gown could not be re-worn to other functions, and at the time the trend started they were made of hard-to-get materials).



Plenty of high-end and well-known bridal designers offer gowns in shades other than white or ivory. You could also look in an upscale department store or clothing boutique for an evening gown in your desired color. A "wedding dress" is simply a dress worn to your wedding, no matter where you buy it or what it's labeled as.



If your family isn't paying for the bridal gown then they don't get a say in what it looks like. If it'll cause tension with them pre-wedding, just shop for it without them and tell them you want it to be a surprise. Or learn how to shut them down: "Well, [shrug], sorry you feel that way but I really like this gown and I'm buying it. If you're so angry about it that you'd rather not come to the wedding, I'll understand." End of discussion.



If they're not paying for it then you don't have to convince them that you're right. Because (a) you don't have to, and (b) it won't work anyway. They can complain all they want, but nothing is forcing you to listen or respond. Just ignore them.



Plenty of celebrity brides (and "regular" brides, like both of my grandmothers who wore non-white day suits they already owned, because it was the 40s and they couldn't afford otherwise) have worn non-white gowns ... Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway, Princess Alice Duchess of Gloucester, etc. Use Google to see for yourself.



http://ultimatehistoryproject.com/before-the-whiteout-wedding-dresses-and-grooms-outfits.html

Answer 23

No, it should not "always" be white. Traditional to wear white, but not absolutely necessary.



I think it would be best to sit down and talk to your family about your choices and say that you wish to be a little different in your wedding choices and you would appreciate their respecting your decisions and to not argue your choices---as it would put more stress on you.

Answer 24

There's something to be said for tradition, but the white-wedding-dress tradition isn't exactly ancient. You'll get no objection from me if you choose something different.

Answer 25

While it's true that Queen Victoria wore a white dress and a lot of women imitated her (just as many currently buy replicas of the dress Kate Middleton wore, or Meghan Markle), most women wore regular dresses and suits right up to the 1950s. In the 70s, it was common for people to get married in home-made dresses, in the forest or on a beach, barefoot. The current mania that encourages buying $10,000 dresses and having receptions that cost a fortune is new and ridiculous. The wedding is one day- use the money to take a fabulous trip or put a down payment on a home. And wear whatever you want.

Answer 26

No, I think that it's your wedding and you are allowed to wear whatever you're comfortable in and love.

Answer 27

If you are paying for the wedding dress then get whatever you want.



You have heard your family's wishes. It is your choice to decide if pleasing yourself, or your family is more important. You can decide what traditions are caried forward and which ones are left in the past.



There is nothing inherently wrong with this, just know there is probably no way to get your family to shut up about it, and this could drag on past the wedding as there will be photos to remind them how you are not dressed in white on your wedding day.

Answer 28

The tradition of the bride wearing a white wedding dress is one that is relatively new. For most of history, the bride simply wore the best thing in her closet regardless of its color. There was no specified tradition; the bride only wanted to look as beautiful and wealthy as possible to impress her groom.



Wearing a white wedding dress initially gained traction on February 10, 1840, when Queen Victoria opted to wear a white silk-satin dress for her wedding. The white wedding dress picked up steam a few years later when the Godey’s Lady’s Book suggested that white is an emblem of innocence and the most fitting hue.







13 Totally Ridiculous Wedding Superstitions

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/advice/a4572/ridiculous-wedding-superstitions/

Answer 29

I think it depends on how promiscuous you were in your youth. I went to the wedding of a trawler trollop and she wore a skin tight leopard skin number. It was hella funny.

Answer 30

I think people stress way too hard about wedding details. If you think of it as a ceremony (legal or religious), followed by a celebration, then you can make it into absolutely whatever you want, and as fancy or plain as you want.

Answer 31

Traditionally, wedding dresses are white but they don’t have to be. I personally would wear a white dress and would think that it’s better but do what you want it’s your wedding!!!