Black Wedding Gowns From the Runway to the Aisle

[hobish]

Until comapratively recently, most brides wore their best dress to get married in- no matter what colour it was. If she was lucky it was a new dress. The whole "White for weddings" thing really only started with the wedding of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert, and filtered down from there.

My MIL got married in a nice black suit in the late fifties- at least she was able to wear it again.

That's pretty much my plan, to grab the nicest dress from my closet -- probably a sun dress, since we'll probably be on a beach -- and have on with it

[lady_disdain]

I see no problem with black wedding dresses. But I hope that the messy, dishevelled pigtails the models wore never, ever catch on.

[hobish]

I see no problem with black wedding dresses. But I hope that the messy, dishevelled pigtails the models wore never, ever catch on.

It's a good thing you can't see through the internet 

[Winterlight]

I would personally prefer to pick a white dress because so many women wear black these days. That, and white dresses just look more "bridal" to me.

[Sharnita]

I would personally prefer to pick a white dress because so many women wear black these days. That, and white dresses just look more "bridal" to me.

I think that's what would seem a bit strange to me.  Black formal dress could be any big event where white wedding dress usually seems specifiacally wedding-y to me.  I would not find it rude if somebody wore black but it wouldn't strike me the way a white dress did.

[Sterling]

I love that they say that the bride who wears a black dress will stand out to much.  Isn't the bride suppose to stand out?  I love the dresses but couldn't afford something like that.

[Mopsy428]

The dresses remind me of something I'd see in a pageant, which isn't a bad thing, but they don't scream "bridal" to me. (Not that it matters...I want to wear something blue when I get married.)

[WillyNilly]

I love that they say that the bride who wears a black dress will stand out to much.  Isn't the bride suppose to stand out?  I love the dresses but couldn't afford something like that.

I think they mean stand out amongst brides. I mean honestly, of the weddings I've attended as guests, I remember the bridesmaids dresses, even going back over 10 years - I remember the colors, did they match exactly or just in color, were they floor or tea length, I remember which had sleeves, which were strapless, etc. But all the brides? Poofy white. I couldn't tell you who had tulle or crystals or lace or a train or a veil. In my memory its simply "big white dress". But a bride in black? Or in a color? I'd remember that, that would stand out in my memory.

[blue2000]

I love that they say that the bride who wears a black dress will stand out to much.  Isn't the bride suppose to stand out?  I love the dresses but couldn't afford something like that.

I think they mean stand out amongst brides. I mean honestly, of the weddings I've attended as guests, I remember the bridesmaids dresses, even going back over 10 years - I remember the colors, did they match exactly or just in color, were they floor or tea length, I remember which had sleeves, which were strapless, etc. But all the brides? Poofy white. I couldn't tell you who had tulle or crystals or lace or a train or a veil. In my memory its simply "big white dress". But a bride in black? Or in a color? I'd remember that, that would stand out in my memory.

I remember some things about the wedding dresses I've seen, but probably not what the brides were thinking of. One bride had the strap of her dress come off, and one had a long train that she didn't pull up for anything - I was wondering how dirty the skirt would be after sliding around on the floor like that. I also remember my cousin, who was a bridesmaid and wore a nice tight-fitted dress when she was about six or seven months pregnant. She looked lovely, but how on earth would you know what size to get or anything??

[merryns]

A friend of mine wore something like this dress ... http://www.charliebrown.com.au/shop/products/SIZZLE.html  for her wedding. The wedding was not high on tradition and fairly informal, but there were no etiquette issues at all. All guests were well treated and we had a lovely time.

[SuperMartianRobotGirl]

I don't understand the logic. It's bad etiquette because in 10, 15, 20 years the pictures of her wedding are going to get too much attention? What?

[hobish]

^ Snipped quote tree ... I just love the tem "leisure class". I don't just want to be stupid rich, i want to be leisure class.
>sigh<



[/OT]

[Thyisa]

I hope this catches on, I look like crap in white. I also think the blurb is just something racy to get attention, or the designer was trying to suggest that brides in black are non-traditional and failing badly. My mother also wore blue down the aisle, and I rather like the idea of continuing the tradition of wearing your favorite color, through these black gowns look stunning.

[TeamBhakta]

I need to do some searching to confirm this, but it's my understanding that other cultures use white for mourning and other colors for wedding. Assuming Vera Wang designs for the world - and not just the Unites States - I fail to see how black wedding dresses are for the bride that does not care about etiquette.

Also, how on earth is the color of the dress tied to etiquette? IIRC, white wedding dresses became fashionable about 100 years ago.

Yup, that was one of the ironies of Marie Antoinette's execution that her jailers refused to let her wear black widows' weeds & made her wear white ... not remembering that Queens of France traditionally wore white when in mourning. And I believe that the whole white wedding dress didn't come into popularity until Queen Victoria wore one in the 1830's. [/threadjack]

I've always wanted to have a seance and ask Victoria about her thoughts on that. Yeah, I have strange ambitions 

[artk2002]

Someone else substituting "rude" for "I don't like it."