The Bride in White: Why White Is the Winner’s Choice
White dresses are to brides what stars are to the galaxy: they belong together.
It’s hard to walk past a bridal dress store in Denver with a white gown on display and not imagine a beautiful bride wearing it. But if you think about it, white dresses don’t have to be restricted to wedding days, but they are. Over time, the phrase white is the bride’s color has popularized so much that it has become a social etiquette to respect the bride’s choice and avoid wearing white to a wedding as a guest. And who can deny the divine beauty of flowing white bridal gowns as they appeal in wedding albums! But let’s see how white came about to become the bride’s choice.
The Bride’s Choice
The idea is to preserve all the charms and uniqueness of the color for the woman who’ll pronounce her vows and get married that day. Since it’s such a huge milestone inher life, she’s allowed to pick the color she wants and be the most beautiful woman in the hall that day.
However, this is not to say that some brides choose to do otherwise. They will steer clear of these traditions and do what their heart tells them. They’ll engage in all sorts of festivities that we don’t commonly see happening at weddings, but most importantly, they won’t wear white. Does that make them less special? Definitely not. But do brides in white enjoy an exclusive charm that remains unchallenged by any other color? Definitely yes. (and picture proofs will attest to the unparalled beauty of white gowns!).
The Royal History
The practice of donning a beautiful white gown is not a contemporary occurrence; it dates back 2,000 years during the time of the Roman Republic. At that time, it was the custom for the brides to dress in a white tunic when she was married off to a Roman matron. The color was more than an aesthetic choice. It was a testament to the chastity of the woman and confirmed that she was being given to her new husband as the purest, untouched maiden.
This ideology was derived from the belief in Vesta, the virgin goddess who stood for home, heart, and family. The temple priestesses who served and worshipped Vesta were always dressed in white garments as a tribute to the goddess’ virginal purity. Hence, white gowns were not as much a bridal ensemble as they were markers of a woman’s character and reputation.
However, this historic practice soon died down as maintaining white fabrics spotlessly clean was a tough job before the invention of bleaching liquids, washing machines, and detergents. Up until the mid-19th century, brides had forgone the custom of wearing white for their wedding. But it was Queen Victoria who brought the tradition back in fashion, and it has stayed ever since.
The Queen forwent the royal ordersto wear coronation robes during her wedding ceremony as she was married to Prince Albert in 1840. Instead, she boldly put on a beautiful white gown which immediately became a sensation in all fashion circles. The news spread far and wide and soon became a trendsetter for all wedding seasons to come.
The Psychology of the Color White
As we’ve discussed already, white was symbolic of purity, chastity, and virginity. Let’s discuss how and why this color has attained this status.
Scientifically speaking, white is not the absence of color; it’s the blended perfection of all colors that turn into the beautiful ivory white color. Therefore the blanched look of the color is not due to a lack but a wholesome fullness that’s rich with all the colors of nature melting into one. Borrowing from this, it’s clear why wearing white as a fashion statement gives the bride an exalted status that’s stands for a natural blend of colors that create this exquisite shade.
White is often substituted with light. This color has the ability to lighten up spaces and highlight corners minimally. The presence of white in your surroundings eliminates darkness and with it, the emotional response to it. Darkness induces a sense of gloom, foreboding and fear, whereas the break of light instantly transforms the scene and makes you feel lighter, happier, and secure. It’s this distinctive quality of brightening up things that makes white superior to all colors. Every bride wants to channel the same positive energy that the color white promises, and that’s a major reason why they wear white.
Photographing The Bridal White
Wearing white on your wedding day has evolved as a historic tradition over time. The beauty of this tradition remained unchallenged over the years, and we’re hoping for it to stay the same in times to come. As for us, we excel when the bride in white is the happiest because we love capturing happy brides on camera!
We offer drone wedding videography and photography in Los Angeles. So if you’ve set the date and picked a dress, all that remains is calling us to book your slot!