3 O’Clock Wedding

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When most little girls daydream about their wedding day, they conjures up a mental image of walking down the aisle to their awaiting groom in a beautiful white wedding dress that will flow and billow all around her. Indeed, it seems that wearing a bridal dress fashioned from a pristine white fabric is a venerable tradition that goes back almost as far in the history of civilization as the wedding ceremony itself.

But, not every little girl, or woman about to be a bride herself thinks only about a white, dream wedding dress. In fact, many question why it is that the white bridal dress is such a strong and deep tradition and wonder where that tradition comes from in the first place.

From today’s perspective, some are surprised to learn that a white wedding dress has not always been the singular choice for a bridal ceremony. Precisely when the tradition of wearing white began is difficult to pinpoint and because it has been a practice for so many generations, it is in practical terms considered the default.

Perhaps one reason why the tradition of white wedding dresses is so strongly ingrained in society today is because, since the era of photography, it seems that the perfect wedding dress has always been captured in images of white. Since we don’t have photographs of weddings of long bygone eras, the tendency is for people to leap to the assumption that wedding dresses have always been white.

But, there is more than just assumption when it comes to the tradition surrounding white wedding dresses. It is well-known that white symbolizes virtue and purity. Wearing a white bridal dress carries a strong symbolism of a bride coming into a marriage with that purity of mind and heart in making a commitment to her groom.

Another aspect of the tradition of wearing white wedding dresses can be traced back to the early 1800’s in England, when a member of the British Monarchy was married in white. This was a display of wealth, position and style which others classes wanted to emulate as well. In that day and age, wearing a wedding gown in a spotless white fabric was a display of wealth and position, in part because it was considered so extravagant at that time to have a dress made that the bride would never wear again. In those days, once a white dress was soiled it was rendered unwearable, especially for the upper class.

The truth of the matter is that in diverse areas across the globe, a white wedding dress would not even be one of the options for a new bride. Indeed, it seems this is primarily a part of western society. In other lands and cultures it is often felt that the true celebration and excitement of the wedding should be reflected in the bright and vibrant colors of the bride’s attire.