To White Or Not To White
recently i attended my cousin’s wedding as one of the bridesmaids. although i was part of the entourage i secretly wondered what i might wear to the wedding – had i been one of the guests – and actually started browsing online for cute dresses to possibly flaunt. to my surprise i found myself drawn to cream and white coloured frocks, which made me think of the whole only-the-bride-wears-white rule people have been observing for decades.
white has long been considered a ‘no-go’ colour for wedding guests, as it is the traditional colour of the wedding gown. however, times are changing and with many modern wedding dresses in ivory or cream, white seems to be no longer off limits. the lines are becoming blurred when it comes to tradition, with many brides opting for a different colour altogether, such as gold, pink or red. sometimes coloured details like bows or flowers are added to a traditional dress to tie in with a decorative motif.
even members of the entourage are commonly given the freedom to choose their own dresses these days. i’ve noticed a flourishing of incredibly pretty, flattering bridesmaid dresses in the last few years, making shopping for one a rather exciting activity — contrary to what was typically viewed before as a frightening endeavor.
whether to choose a long, floaty gown or a shorter, fuller skirt is often down to practicality. for outdoor weddings long dresses may trail on muddy ground, or trip the wearer, whereas churches and older buildings can get chilly during certain seasons, making a shorter skirt less appealing.
wedding guests are generally still expected to wear pastel shades rather than bright colours, but white and its surrounding shades are certainly back on the menu. of course the age old adage ‘don’t upstage the bride’ still holds true, so any dress one wears to attend a wedding should be beautiful yet subtle. i’ll certainly keep that in mind the next time i am invited to one.
*this post was brought to you by Fever Designs
