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This article discusses the rise of the conventions of a "White wedding," their perceived symbolism, and their contemporary application.
The tradition of wearing white at weddings began due to the choice of colour of the wedding dress of Queen Victoria at her wedding to Prince Albert. Queen Victoria was not the first royal bride to wear a white wedding gown, but the first of the modern era. White had been a traditional colour of royal mourning, and until that convention had completely died, white could not have been a suitable choice for a royal wedding. Victoria's choice popularized the white gown as no other had before her. Previously, brides wore their best clothes or the most expensive new clothes they could afford. Gold or gold-threaded dresses became popular with royal brides; the rank-and-file wore dresses that reflected their station. White was one of many choices, pastel shades were also popular.
Until the mid-twentieth century, many brides in the United Kingdom did not wear a traditional wedding dress, merely a specially bought ordinary dress. This was also the case in pre-20th Century America where working and frontier brides often opted for a formal look that was practical and could be used again on special occasions.
Traditionally, the choice of the style of wedding was limited by the condition of the bride (unmarried, divorced, virginal etc.); the groom's status was immaterial. Some couples, wanting to avoid a perceived sexist connotation implied in the white dress have the groom dressed in a white tuxedo to give some parity.
White weddings almost always take place in churches and people generally seek to be married in the most prestigious or picturesque church they can find. This often leads to the often bemoaned phemomenon of such churches attracting the unexpected attendance of unmarried couples who are in the early stages of planning their wedding and wish to be married there, but would not otherwise set foot in church. As a consequence, some church require that the couple either be parishioners or pledge to join and participate in the parish. In the United States, such weddings may also be held at the family's residence or in a private club.
After World War I, as full-scale formal weddings began to be desired by the mothers of brides who did not have a permanent social secretary, the position of the "wedding planner" who could coordinate the printer, florist, caterer, seamstress, began to assume importance. Bride's Magazine began to be published (date), and its rival Modern Bride (date). Now a whole industry surrounds the provision of such weddings. The groom may be a mere detail: the new editor of Modern Bride began her inaugural column, without irony: "I really did have the wedding of my dreams, the wedding that had been floating around my head for years before I met my husband."
Emily Post's Etiquette was first published in 1922, as a guide to the "new" people of the post-war boom, who meant to get the unfamiliar details right, and the conservatively evolving nature of a formal wedding can be traced in its various editions. A 4th edition of Peggy Post's Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette: Cherished Traditions and Contemporary Ideas for a Joyous Celebration is still in print, along with a wide range of wedding planners and guides to second weddings bearing the Post name. A subtle shift in the requirements for a wedding can be detected in the modern blurb for Emily Post's Weddings "creating a wedding experience that demonstrates the bride and groom's commitment and uniqueness." "Uniqueness" is a modern addition to a wedding's requirements. Judith MartinJudith Martin (born 1938) is an American newspaper columnist and book author. Writing under the pseudonym Miss Manners she deals with problems of etiquette and manners contributed by her readership, as well as improving understanding of the essential qual has published Miss Manners on Weddings.Modern developments that are not part of the traditional "white wedding" include "themed weddings" and "destination weddings." These are discussed at the entry Wedding.
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