White Gown? No Way!

In 1840, Queen Victoria did something that would change how weddings were viewed in Western cultures. She wore a white dress on her wedding day and everyone turned their heads.

Many people don't know that a little less than 200 years ago, a white dress was an anomaly. It is so much the norm now. Everyone wears white or a shade of it. But this was not always the case, and it is becoming that way again.

As everyone fights to go against the grain and be unique, the occurrence of non-white wedding gowns is becoming a bit of a trend. Everyone wants to make a splash on their wedding day, and it seems that wearing colour is the way to do it.

The obsession with white gowns and their subsequent association with the purity of the bride is a relatively new and Western custom. Many other cultures have worn colour and continue to wear colour on their wedding day. And, after 200 years of wearing white, Western culture seems to be returning to their roots.

So, why are brides ditching the white gown? It can happen for many reasons. The oldest is because the bride does not consider themselves to meet the criteria of the "white gown." It is supposed to represent the purity of the bride, and many women who are no longer virgins or getting married for a second, third, etc. time feel that they shouldn't wear white.

This prompts some brides to wear off-white or cream-coloured dresses. Some brides will wear pantsuits or alternative wear to dresses as a means to avoid this tradition as well. And some will just throw in the towel and go for something colourful.

Some women just want to break the mould. They want to stand out and be different. Maybe they have colourful personalities and they want to wear a dress that represents them. Maybe they just hate white. Whatever the reason, the trend is on the rise.

More and more women are ditching the white dress and looking for something colourful. Bridesmaids are no longer the only spot of colour at the front of the aisle. The bride is sometimes much more vibrant.

Whether it be rainbow dresses, black dresses, or a whole range of colours, there is less and less white walking down the aisles. And it is a tradition that I support wholeheartedly.

The tradition prior to Queen Victoria's white dress debut was for women to wear their best dress on their wedding day. This could have been a dress in any possible colour. It was simply the best one that the person owns.

I fully support reverting back to this tradition. Wedding dresses are too expensive. For some people, they cost more than the venue or catering combined. People dream about the white dress and then can barely afford it.

It is much more price savvy to wear your best dress or to buy a cheap, coloured dress. And it allows the person to express themselves, be different, be unique.

In a world where everything seems to be tradition, it is nice to break the mould and be different. Rituals are nice, but many people are losing faith in the tradition of marriage in general. So, if you are going to go through the ritual of it, you may as well make a splash; make it your own.

Life is short, too short to play by the rules. And you're only going to get married once (fingers crossed), so make it something that you remember, something that other people will remember. Make it one hundred percent you.

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