Black Wedding Gowns From the Runway to the Aisle

[TeamBhakta]

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

That and she's probably thinking "Shut the (front door) with this being unique nonsense. If my brides think they can skip whatever elements they dislike, I can't railroad them into 'But it's tradition to have xyz expensive items. People won't think they're at a wedding if you leave it out. You really want
that ?' "

[Twik]

White gowns weren't solely invented by Victoria. I understand that in the Highlands of Scotland, it was considered unseemly for a young crofter lass to marry before she'd gathered and spun enough "bog cotton" to make her own wedding dress.

(Bog cotton being the stuff you see mixed in with the heather that looks as if the sheep have been shedding everywhere.)

[SkyTalon]

It sounds to me that the author there is interpreting Etiquette strictly as the prim and proper way to use a fork to scratch one's derriere. With that language, I imagine that the author thinks that the BiB (Brides in Black) will walk down the aisle, and cause monocles to pop out of eyes and into cups of tea.

Or something.

[Everlee]

Oooh I think those dresses are gorgeous!  Especially the one on the left.  I would wear that in a heartbeat.  I didn't have a wedding since we court housed it, but that is now my dream dress.

Oh and POD to everyone who says not rude.  Your wedding, your dress.  No one else's business.

[Mikayla]

Ugh.  I hate it when people play the etiquette card with issues that have nothing to do with etiquette.  It's even worse when the person is supposedly some maven based in Manhattan. 

Another one I see frequently is that it is "bad etiquette" to have a smaller ceremony followed by a larger reception.  This can annoy a lot of people, or result in hurt feelings, but it's not bad etiquette. 

I was pretty traditional with my wedding (even used Pachelbon to walk down the aisle!) but I'd love to see a wedding with a bride in black!

[K_Bear]

If I can find the dress in my brain...or have it made...it would have black lace over a taupe satin. So  to all those who try to say what is "proper".

Or maybe purple...

or red...

Short dress and wild, funky fluevog boots...in a crazy color.

[MsMarjorie]

^^^

K_Bear, in one of the threads on the hells bells site, there is a dress like that - here is the link to the story http://etiquettehell.com/hellsbells/?p=5682
and I think in the comments the owner of the dress (she did ivory with a black overlay) gives a link to the dress name/store.

[Sirius]

When I got married, I was being urged to wear ivory since I was an older bride.  However, this was my first (and will be my only) marriage, and I wanted to wear white.  So I did.  I made my own dress, so technically I could have worn whatever I wanted, and I wanted white.

[makotohanabi]

Made my wedding dress so it would be the exact way I wanted it. Went with a pumpkin pie filling orange with the sleeves lining a light yellow Lord of the Rings elf type gown. It fit perfectly and I received many complements. I'm not a fan of tradition, and even more so of some stranger telling what to wear.

Think there was a blog floating around that showed the history of some wedding traditions are less than 50 years old.

[Wonderflonium]

Made my wedding dress so it would be the exact way I wanted it. Went with a pumpkin pie filling orange with the sleeves lining a light yellow Lord of the Rings elf type gown. It fit perfectly and I received many complements. I'm not a fan of tradition, and even more so of some stranger telling what to wear.

Pics or it didn't happen.  (Sounds awesome!)

[Winterlight]

^^^

K_Bear, in one of the threads on the hells bells site, there is a dress like that - here is the link to the story http://etiquettehell.com/hellsbells/?p=5682
and I think in the comments the owner of the dress (she did ivory with a black overlay) gives a link to the dress name/store.

Oh, that's a stunning dress- I love it!

Yeesh at the story though- what a raging SS!

[scotcat]

Yep, Ma said "Married in black, wish yourself back"


My  paternal Grandmother used to quote this rhyme. She herself was married in black in 1906, as it was her best dress. She wore it 5 years later when she and my grandfather and my father and uncle were photographed as a family group.

My maternal Grandmother wore a grey dress when she got married in 1890.

Those who were not so well off would wear their best dresses to marry. White was not really a servicable colour for the working classes, so you had a dress from which you could get some use.

There is a black wedding dress in a costume museum in England which was made for a bride who was on the point of marrying an Army officer who was being posted to India in Victorian times. Her father died, and rather than postpone the wedding, because it would have been a long time before the groom would have been able to get back to England, the nuptials went ahead with the bride in black.

[scotcat]

P.S. My aunt was married in her ATS uniform at the end of World War II

[emeraldsage85]

I agree with everyone who says this has nothing to do with etiquette. Just wanted to say that I love the dress on the left. I could picture myself wearing that if I ever get married. 

[Elfmama]

I love that black is now being shown for weddings, so much more practical than most gowns.

That was one of the reasons that white wedding gowns became popular -- BECAUSE they were impractical.  The growing middle class saw white gowns as the way to say "WE can afford to give our daughter an expensive, impractical gown that she will wear for only ONE DAY.  None of this 'best dress' that she might wear any Sunday to church. She is too special for that."