This is a guest post written by speakin_colors.

A Bit of History
The traditional white wedding dress symbolizes purity and chastity, two virtues a woman about to get married was supposed to have in the past. The bridal custom of wearing white started in the XVI century but it was given a boost when Queen Victoria decided to wear a white wedding gown instead of the silver dress royal brides used to wear at that time. Another monarch, Mary Queen of Scots, had worn white before when she married François II of France. However, her choice did not become popular then since white was the official colour of mourning in France at the time. It is believed Mary had chosen white since she was very fond of that colour and her white wedding dress surely must have highlighted her bright auburn hair and her hazel-brown eyes.

Prior to the Victorian era, a bride was married in any colour except black (the colour of mourning) or red (which was connected with prostitutes).

In the XIX century, women began to choose dark colours instead of light ones to get married. The choice was based purely on economic reasons since dark-coloured wedding gowns could be worn again on other social occasions.

What Colour Said About the Bride

There were several superstitions concerning wedding dresses as it was believed each colour carried a special significance for the bride:

• Brown: the bride would never leave town. The implication was that her husband would never rise in life or acquire riches.
• Pearl: the bride would live in a whirl.
• Red: the bride wished herself dead. It was believed that if a bride wore red, she and her husband would fight before their first anniversary or her husband would die soon.
• Yellow: the bride felt ashamed of the man who was marrying her.
• Green: the bride was ashamed to be seen. Except for the Irish, this colour represented promiscuity since it was believed the green staining of the dress was due to rolling in grassy fields. In Lowland Scotland it was considered to be an “ill-omened” colour and not only the bride but also the wedding guests were forbidden to wear it. No green vegetables were served at the wedding feast either.
• Pink: the bride’s spirit would sink.
• Grey: the bride would go far away.
• Black: the bride should never look back. In general black was considered to bring bad luck since it was the colour of widows and it symbolized death.
• Blue: ever-lasting true love. The blue in the traditional wedding rhyme: ”Something old, something new Something borrowed, something blue” symbolized love, modesty and fidelity. Blue therefore has been popular since it means constancy. In some parts of Yorkshire, however, there is a local saying that “if dressed in blue, she is sure to rue”.

Latest Wedding Trends

Nowadays many women opt for colours other than white for their wedding gowns. Creamy shades such as eggshell, ecru and ivory are chosen instead of the traditional immaculate wedding white. Hints of colour, such as a pink sash, a bow or small blue flowers, can add a colourful touch to the traditional virginal white or to its many shades.

Other popular choices besides white are silver, pink, pearl and blue. Many fashion designers (such as Badenes Vera) use audacious colours for their wedding dresses. These colours include burgundy, smoke-grey pink, leaf green and fawn. Josechu Santana has chosen turquoise and coral for his designs and both Francesca Marlon and Macarena Kindelán have also dared to make use of non-conventional colours in their wedding collections. Agatha Ruiz de la Prada’s avant-garde wedding creations explode in a profusion of colourful hearts and Christian Lacroix’s bridal collections amalgamate a multitude of unexpected and extravagant shades.

Colours Matching Seasons

Many fashion designers choose different colourings according to season. The top colours for spring brides are pastels, magnolia, salmon, lavender, pinks, lilacs and soft shades of gold. Deeper shades are chosen for the summer brides and beach-inspired wedding designs even display a variety of tropical colours and fruit-scented hues such as watermelon, kiwi and lime. Yellows, oranges and golds are the most suitable tones for autumn brides. The winter bride, however, seems to wear the boldest colours: royal blue, deep reds (scarlet, ruby and burgundy), deep gold, cinnamon, champagne and claret, and sometimes even touches of black.

Eastern Cultures

Many wedding dresses in China are coloured red, the traditional color of good luck. In modern Chinese weddings, the bride usually chooses to wear the white Western dress or changes from a white gown to a red gown later in the day and sometimes a gold-coloured gown later on. Red wedding dresses are also popular in Vietnam, and in Japan brides will often wear a white and colour dress combination for the traditional kimono. In northern parts of India, the traditional color of women's wedding garments is red whereas in the South brides traditionally wear white or cream-colored saris.
wonderful collection.

Not Only A Matter of Color

A woman’s wedding day is perhaps one of the biggest events in her life. Choosing the colour of her bridal gown is, therefore, a matter of utmost importance. Several factors such as the time of the day when the wedding will take place, colour of hair and skin and, above all, common sense must be taken into account to make the right selection. A bride is always the protagonist of the ceremony and she must look her very best: the colour she decides to wear on such an important occasion will help her to do so.

Images from Josechu Santana & brides.com