Make your wedding attire historic

Did you know that wearing white for one’s wedding is a relatively new tradition? In 1840, Queen Victoria made the white wedding dress popular, choosing white to show off the intricate lace that she had made by local artisans, to support the flagging British lace industry. (Did you also know that Queen Victoria proposed to Albert? A move we would consider quite modern but one cannot just propose marriage to the monarch!)

In ancient times, Roman brides most often wore yellow, symbolizing warmth. In Athens, the colors most often chosen were red or violet. And in Asia, black with red trim was often chosen.

During our favorite century, the 1700’s, bridal dresses were typically made of patterned fabric with a tight bodice, back pleats falling from the shoulders and an open-front skirt, showing a contrasting petticoat. It was common for both celebrants to wear matching outfits. For example, a bride might wear a petticoat that matched the groom’s waistcoat.

During economic down-turns, such as The Great Depression or during WWII, purchasing special clothing for a wedding was viewed as frivolous. One’s best outfit that was already owned was de rigueur.

It actually wasn’t until the dawn of modern mass clothing manufacturing in the late 19th century that most couples could afford to choose outfits specifically for the wedding. It was more likely that attire was chosen that could be appropriate for many occasions throughout one’s lifetime.

No matter how modern we think we are by choosing “non-traditional” colors, make purchases to support the local economy, or to reduce, reuse, recycle, it is likely to actually have been traditional to some earlier time or place.