A wedding dress or wedding gown is clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown depends on the religion and culture of the participants.

Western culture

In modern tradition, the color of western-culture wedding dresses is white. Used in this sense, 'white' or 'wedding white' includes creamy shades such as eggshell , ecru and ivory. The popularity of this color can be traced back to 1840 and the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. The Queen chose to wear a white gown for the event. The official wedding portrait photograph was widely published and many brides opted for a similar dress in honor of that choice. The tradition continues today. (See white wedding.) 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).

The term Bridal Gown originates from the word 'al' which means 'party' combined with Bride is Bridal ie. Brides Party Gown. Originally in the Middle Ages wedding parties were simply called Bride-al's.

Eastern Culture

Many wedding dresses in China are colored red, the traditional colour of good luck. In modern Chinese weddings, particularly in Western countries, the bride usually opts for the white Western dress or changes from a red gown to a white gown later in the day.

External links

• History of the wedding dress
• History of the white wedding dress