A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. In Western cultures and Anglo-Saxon cultural spheres, the wedding dress is most commonly white, a fashion made popular by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

when she married in 1840. In Eastern cultures, brides often choose red to symbolize auspiciousness.

Western culture

Woman's Two-piece Dress (Wedding) LACMA M

Weddings performed during and immediately following the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

were often more than just a union between two people. They could be a union between two families, two businesses or even two countries. Many weddings were more a matter of

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

than

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

, particularly among the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

and the higher social classes. Brides were therefore expected to dress in a manner that cast their families in the most favorable light and befitted their social status, for they were not representing only themselves during the ceremony. Brides from wealthy families often wore rich colors and exclusive fabrics. It was common to see them wearing bold colors and layers of furs, velvet and

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...

. Brides dressed in the height of current fashion, with the richest materials their families' money could buy. The poorest of brides wore their best church dress on their wedding day. The amount and the price of material a wedding dress contained was a reflection of the bride's social standing and indicated the extent of the family's wealth to wedding guests.

Color of wedding dresses

The first documented instance of a princess who wore a white wedding dress for a royal wedding ceremony is that of Philippa of England, who wore a tunic with a cloak in white

bordered with squirrel and ermine in 1406, when she married Eric of Pomerania.

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

, wore a white wedding dress in 1559 when she married her first husband, Francis, the

Dauphin of France Dauphin of France (, also ; french: Dauphin de France ), originally Dauphin of Viennois (''Dauphin de Viennois''), was the title given to the heir apparent to the throne of France from 1350 to 1791, and from 1824 to 1830. The word ''dauphin' ...

, because it was her favorite color, although white was then the color of mourning for French queens. This was not a widespread trend, however: prior to the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

, a bride was married in any color, black being popular in Finland. White became a popular option in 1840, after the marriage of

to Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, when Victoria wore a white gown trimmed with

Honiton lace Honiton lace is a type of bobbin lace made in Honiton, Devon, in the United Kingdom. Historical Honiton lace designs focused on scrollwork and depictions of natural objects such as flowers and leaves. Characteristics Honiton lace is a part ...

. Illustrations of the wedding were widely published, and many brides opted for white in accordance with the Queen's choice. Later, many people assumed that the color white was intended to symbolize virginity, though this was not the original intention: it was the color

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

that was connected to purity, piety, faithfulness, and the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

. Even after white became the dominant color, for a period, wedding dresses were adapted to the styles of the day. In the early 1900s, clothing included a lot of decorations, such as lace or frills. This was also adopted in wedding dresses, where decorative frills and lace was common. For example, in the 1920s, they were typically short in the front with a longer

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

in the back and were worn with cloche-style wedding veils. This tendency to follow current fashions continued until the late 1960s, when it became popular to revert to long, full-skirted designs reminiscent of the Victorian era. Since the middle of the 20th century, most Western wedding dresses are usually

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, though "wedding white" includes shades such as eggshell, ecru and ivory. White is not the universal color of wedding dresses. In Mexico, for example, red is a popular color. In

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

the color white is used as a symbol of purity, innocence, and cleanliness, particularly in religious ceremonies such as baptism and

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

ceremonies, including weddings. For weddings in the temple, white clothing is also worn by all participants during the ceremony, both men and women, to also symbolize unity and equality before God. The bride's should be "white, modest in design and fabric, and free of elaborate ornamentation."

Current fashion

In the early 21st century many wedding dresses on the market are sleeveless and

strapless ''Strapless'' is a 1989 film written and directed by David Hare. Plot summary An expatriate American doctor in London allows herself to lighten up when her freewheeling younger sister and a mysterious man enter her life. Her inhibitions relea ...

. Other brides prefer styles with sleeves, higher necklines, and covered backs.

Eastern culture

Many wedding dresses in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

(

wedding sari A wedding sari is the traditional wedding dress of South Asian women. The sari is traditionally a combination of red and green, with golden brocade. Hindu wedding sarees are predominantly red, a colour associated with married women, and never w ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

(heavily embroidered shalwar qameez or lehngas) are red; the traditional colour representing good luck and auspiciousness.

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

wedding dresses (in the traditional form of áo tấc the ancient Ao dai) were blue, dark blue. Nowadays, many women choose other colours besides red. In modern mainland Chinese weddings, the bride may opt for Western dresses of any colour, and don a traditional costume for the wedding tea ceremony. In modern

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...

ese weddings, the bride generally picks red (following Chinese tradition) or white (more Western) silk for the wedding gown material, but most will wear the red traditional garment for their formal wedding banquets. Traditionally, the father of the bride is responsible for the wedding banquet hosted on the bride's side and the alcohol (specifically called "xi-jiu," confusingly the same as what the wedding banquet itself is called) consumed during both banquets. While the wedding itself is often based on the couple's choices, the wedding banquets are a symbolic gesture of "thanks" and appreciation, to those that have raised the bride and groom (such as grandparents and uncles) and those who will continue to be there to help the bride and groom in the future. Thus out of respect for the elders, wedding banquets are usually done formally and traditionally. Red

s are the traditional garment choice for brides in

n culture. Sari fabric is also traditionally silk. Over time, colour options and fabric choices for Indian brides have expanded. Today fabrics like crepe, Georgette, charmeuse, and satin are used, and colors have been expanded to include gold, pink, orange, maroon, brown, and yellow as well. Indian brides in Western countries often wear the sari at the wedding ceremony and change into traditional Indian wear afterwards (

lehnga The ''lehenga'', ''lehnga'' or ''langa'' (also known as a ''ghagra'' or ''gagra'', ''chaniya'', ''pavadai'', or ''lacha'') is a form of ankle-length skirt from the Indian subcontinent. Different patterns and styles of traditional embroidery are used ...

choli A choli (Hindi: चोली, Urdu: چولی, gu, ચોળી, mr, चोळी, Nepali: चोलो ''cholo'') (known in South India as ''ravike'' (Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ, Telugu: రవికె, Tamil: ரவிக்கை)) is a bl ...

, etc.). Traditionally, a Kurdish first-time bride would wear a red dress for her wedding to symbolize the postcoital bleeding she will experience when she loses her virginity while a Kurdish bride who used to be married before would wear pink. Today, many Kurds associate red wedding dresses with impoverished Kurdish

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are de ...

society and it is no longer commonly worn. A

Japanese wedding Marriage in Japan is a legal and social institution at the center of the household (). Couples are legally married once they have made the change in status on their family registration sheets, without the need for a ceremony. Most weddings ar ...

usually involves a traditional pure white kimono for the formal ceremony, symbolizing purity and maidenhood. The bride may change into a red kimono for the events after the ceremony for good luck. The Javanese people of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

wear a kebaya, a traditional kind of blouse, along with batik. In the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, variations of the Baro't saya adapted to the white wedding tradition are considered to be wedding attire for women, along with the Barong Tagalog for men. Various tribes and Muslim Filipinos don other forms of traditional dress during their respective ceremonies.

Native American culture

The

indigenous peoples of the Americas The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

have varying traditions related to weddings and thus wedding dresses. A Hopi bride traditionally had her garments woven by the groom and any men in the village who wished to participate. The garments consisted of a large belt, two all-white wedding robes, a white wedding robe with red stripes at top and bottom, white buckskin leggings and moccasins, a string for tying the hair, and a reed mat in which to wrap the outfit. This outfit also served as a shroud, since these garments would be necessary for the trip through the underworld. A Pueblo bride wore a cotton garment tied above the right shoulder, secured with a belt around the waist. In the traditions of the

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

, a bride wore a knee-length skirt of deerskin and a band of wampum beads around her forehead. Except for fine beads or shell necklaces, the body was bare from the waist up. If it was a winter wedding, she wore deerskin leggings and moccasins and a robe of turkey feathers. Her face was painted with white, red and yellow clay. The tribes of Northern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

(which include the Klamath, the Modoc and the Yurok) had a traditional bridal dress woven in symbolic colors: white for the east, blue for the south, yellow (orange) for the west; and black for the north. Turquoise and silver jewelry were worn by both the bride and the groom in addition to a silver concho belt. Jewelry was considered a shield against evils including hunger, poverty and bad luck.

Gallery

Historical Western European wedding dresses

Image:Bologna marriage women.jpg, Detail from ''The Marriage'' by Nicolo da Bologna, 1350s. Image:Peter Paul Rubens 088.jpg, Helena Fourment, second wife of Peter Paul Rubens, painted by Rubens in her wedding dress, 1630. File:Sofia Magdalenas brudklänning, robe de cour, 1766.jpg, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark's wedding dress, 1766. The Royal Armoury in Sweden. Image:Napoleon Marie Louise Marriage1.jpeg, Marriage of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

and Marie Louise.

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, 1810.

Wedding dresses from different areas of the world

File:Edward S. Curtis Collection People 032.jpg, Wishram (North American Indian) bride around 1911 File:Bauernhochzeit Jomala 1.jpg, Traditional Finnish farmer wedding dress in Jomala, Åland File:SB - Kazakh woman on horse.jpg, Traditional Kazakh wedding dress File:Milli Geyim 3.jpg, alt=Azerbaijan national wedding costume in Azerbaijan State Museum of History., Traditional

Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...

national wedding costume in

Azerbaijan State Museum of History The National Museum of History of Azerbaijan ( az, Milli Azərbaycan Tarixi Muzeyi) is the largest museum in Azerbaijan. It is located in Baku, in the former residential house of Azerbaijani oil magnate and philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagh ...

. File:Kosiv Dress.jpg, Hutsul wedding dress File:Ստորին Հայքի հարսնազգեստ.jpg, Traditional Armenian wedding dress File:Kymi's costume.JPG, 18th-century wedding dress from

Kymi, Greece Kymi (Greek: , ) is a coastal town and a former municipality (7,112 inhabitants in 2011) in the island of Euboea, Greece, named after an ancient Greek place of the same name. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ky ...

(Collection of PFF, Nauplio) File:"Highlanders' Wedding", Dom Ludowy Theatre 08.jpg, Bride in a wedding dress, Podhale, the Tatra Mountains

West Asian/North African dresses

Image:Jewish Yemenite bride.jpg, Yemenite Jewish bride in Israel, 1950's File:ModernEgypt, Khedive Tawfiq, DHP13401-1-1 01.jpg, Wedding of

Tewfik Pasha Mohamed Tewfik Pasha ( ar, محمد توفيق باشا ''Muḥammad Tawfīq Bāshā''; April 30 or 15 November 1852 – 7 January 1892), also known as Tawfiq of Egypt, was khedive of Egypt and the Sudan between 1879 and 1892 and the sixth rule ...

and Emina Ilhamy, Cairo, Egypt, January 1873

East Asian dresses

Image:Traditional chinese wedding.jpg, Chinese couple wearing traditional wedding hanfu Image:Korea-Seoul-Royal wedding ceremony 1365-06.JPG, Reenactment of the royal wedding ceremony of King Gojong and Queen Myeongseong

South Asian dresses

File:IMG-20190213-WA0044.jpg, Indian Hindu bride in red Sari File:Wedding of Bangladesh.jpg,

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

i Muslim bride in formal matrimonial Sari File:Indian bride in white.jpg, Indian Christian bride in white Sari File:Newar bride 1941.jpg, Nepali bride of Kathmandu, 1941 File:Bengali bride during sindoor daan IMG 7811 1.jpg,

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

bride File:Hindu bride in Lehenga.jpg, Hindu bride in

Lehenga The ''lehenga'', ''lehnga'' or ''langa'' (also known as a ''ghagra'' or ''gagra'', ''chaniya'', ''pavadai'', or ''lacha'') is a form of ankle-length skirt from the Indian subcontinent. Different patterns and styles of traditional embroidery are used ...

. File:Bride-323334 640.jpg, Marathi wedding File:A & D Wijeyeratne's Wedding Photograph.jpg, Sri Lankan wedding

Southeast Asian dresses

File:Art and culture.JPG, Khmer (Cambodian) couple dressed in traditional wedding outfits File:Thaiquoc-ngockieu.jpg, Vietnamese couple in traditional dress File:Couple at a pre-wedding ceremony in Thailand.jpg, Couple dress in traditional Thai outfits File:Nyaungshwe, wedding (6211610799).jpg, Couple dressed in traditional Burmese outfits File:Bali Hindu Wedding Traditional Dress.jpg, Bali Hindu wedding dress

Modern Western-style dresses

File:BrideMiniskirt1968.jpg, A bride in 1968, wearing a dress reflecting the styles of the time File:Nixon with daughter Tricia marriage 1971.jpg, Patricia Nixon Cox with her father

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

, 1971 File:Western wedding dress in Taiwan.jpg,

Taiwanese Taiwanese may refer to: * Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien * Something from or related to Taiwan (Formosa) * Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan * Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan * Taiwanese people, r ...

couple dressed Western-style for keepsake photos in the park, 1989 File:John and Gail at St. Stephens church.jpg, American bride marrying a Scotsman wearing a kilt, 1996 File:The bride - New Orleans.jpg, New Orleans bride wearing a strapless, sleeveless gown, 2006 File:Свадьба Ирины и Алёны Шумиловых в Санкт-Петербурге.jpg, Same-gender marriage.

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

, 2014.

References

External links

Fashion Plates of Wedding Dresses from 1820-1929
from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries
Wedding Dresses at Chicago History Museum Digital Collections

Wedding dress, 1900, in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database

Wedding dress, 1951, in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database
{{Authority control Wedding Dresses Wedding dresses