The Wedding Gowns

The wedding gowns very much often worn by the bride were a class symbol to represent the status and position of the bride's family. The type of material and colors of the wedding gowns, especially among aristocracy, were intended to show the importance of the families. Right after the medieval times when a couple was married it was not just a union between two people. It often encompassed the marriage of two families and even two businesses.

Throughout the years brides continued to be festooned in silk, satin and furs along with many other bold colors in their wedding gowns as a portrayal of the social status and those of lesser stature continued to wear gowns of similar design made of materials of lesser value. The length of the train usually determined the wealth of the bride's family, as well as the quantity of material used in wedding gowns.

Brides continuous following the trend of wearing wedding gowns designed after those of popular culture, even in the western world after the turn of the 20th century. For example, during the 1920's a bride would wear a short gown, resembling the dresses of the so-called "Roaring 20's" with a long train in the back.

Queen Mary With White Gown

It wasn't until about year 1940 that the wedding gowns regress back to the designs of the Victorian age, with the style continuing today. The color of wedding gowns prior to the wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots would have been bold colors of purple and reds. When she married Francois II of France she became the first to wear white. It was precisely considered a slap at the French at that time as white color was the official national color of mourning in France.

Nevertheless, white wedding gowns did not catch on until the wedding of Queen Victoria and Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Her official wedding picture wearing a white gown was extensively publicized and prompting many brides to opt for the color of their own gown. The amount of material used in the gown remained a sign of the bride's status in life with many of the poorer families proffering simple church dresses in white.

Throughout history white wedding gowns were considered a sign of innocence and purity and somewhere along the line was thought to represent virginity. This concept has slowly faded and most brides choose white wedding gowns in spite of of the circumstance of the couple. It is not abnormal for white to be worn during second and even third weddings to allow the bride to experience a white-themed wedding.

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