For the bride, probably the most important part of the marriage ceremony is the dress. It has to look stunning on her, and fit perfectly into the theme of the day. Brides will spend hours with their mothers and chief bridesmaids searching the shops for “The Dress”. It is likely to be the most expensive item bought for the wedding, and unlike times past, will only be worn once.
Until the1900’s brides hardly ever bought a special dress for the day, but opted for their best outfit. For most people the dress would have been worn many times more and white would not have been an option because of the difficulty in keeping it clean.
In the middle Ages many marriages were arranged to bring power or wealth to the families, and these brides would always be dressed in the best finery that could be afforded. Rich velvets and brocades were used, often in reds and purples because only the well off could afford coloured dyes for their clothes. The more material that went into the dress the better, as it showed how wealthy you were.
There is a short rhyme about the colour of the dress,
Marry in white you will have chosen right
Marry in blue your love will be true
Marry in pearl you will live in a whirl
Marry in brown you will live in a town
Marry in red you will wish you were dead
Marry in yellow you are ashamed of your fellow
Marry in green you are ashamed to be seen
Marry in pink your spirit will sink
Marry in grey you will go far away
Marry in black you will wish yourself back.
Queen Victoria broke the tradition of royal brides marrying in silver by opting for a white dress, in order to use some lace, and white has been the first choice of brides ever since. It has come to symbolise purity and maidenhood.
Dresses have always been styled on the designs of the day. This held true until the 40’s when it started to become popular to choose designs from the 19th century or earlier. Nowadays it is all down to the individuality of the bride, and is often influenced by the overall theme picked for the day. Whatever the bride chooses she will have put a lot of hard work into finding a dress that is perfect, so the photographer will have an easy time making her look stunning in every picture taken, and all time spent traipsing around the shops and trying on dresses will have been worthwhile. Article by Derbyshire wedding photographers Neal Morgan
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