Vancouver Red is Popular Choice for Wedding Dresses in Canada
Brides’ in Canada are giving the thumbs down to the white traditional wedding dress with the popular colour choice of Vancouver red topping the list with blue and eggplant close behind.
Fur stoles and trims with beads are no longer clear as crystals with many now choosing accessory colors to go with beach and tropical wedding settings, with more couples now getting married away from home.
"Tradition is really out the window," said Linda Borges, the Manager of Ballett's Sposabella wedding shop.
"Nowadays, it's really just what the bride wants to go with and the traditional white is now irrelevant."
"Some of them are now integrating bridesmaid colours within the dress, either within the bodice, the train, or sashes or bows," said Borges.
The fashion of wearing white to get married in was started after Queen Victoria wore one for her own wedding to her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg back in 1840 and who since has had more influence on weddings than any other!
Brides of the Edwardian period put the ‘extravagance’ into wedding dresses wearing white gowns that only the very rich could well afford. Vanity was in the knowledge of knowing it would only be worn the once, but at least it allowed them the fashion of following in the footsteps of the wealthy Monarch.
Coco Channel brought the white wedding dress soaring to inventive heights when the new knee length dress was unveiled along with an immensely extravagant train.
World War II Changed Wedding Dress Fashion
This fashion was to come crashing down with the approach of World War II and the years of the Depression. For decades women ‘made do’ with whatever dress they could afford to buy. While those that could still get married in white, did so and would then dye the dress afterwards to use for everyday wear. Again, it was only the exceptionally wealthy that could still afford the elaborate white gowns.
Hollywood stars, royalty and members of high society brought back the tradition as the world watched them getting married in stunning gowns in the 1950s and most young women dreamt of that perfect white wedding dress long before they had even met their future husbands - as we all still do today.
David Chung, manager of Tiffany New York Bridal said after selling a red gown to one bride "They want something different”
He added that brides have also opted for eggplant, black and light blue but more than 40 colours are available.
"Brides are looking for some way to show their own individuality so it's not a cookie cutter wedding," according to Bettie Bradley, editor of Today's Bride magazine.
"In Victorian times, it was quite usual for a person simply to be married in their best dress and for the men to go back to work after the wedding."
Bradley believes the white bridal gown is likely to remain a tradition for many brides.
"Most brides fancy being married in white or ivory," she said, adding few brides are likely to go with gowns of one solid color because they would not stand out from their bridesmaids.
Wedding Dresses of Different Colours: A bit of folklore
Getting married in different coloured dresses has been portrayed in this ‘folklore’ poem below: but as most people will notice the meaning of each colour has just been linked to rhyme with whatever comes to mind. Many brides have been married in different shades with happy marriages, while some in white have had disastrous results – it is just a bit of fun to read.
Married in white: you will have chosen all right.
Married in grey: you will go far away.
Married in black: you will wish yourself back.
Married in red: you’ll wish yourself dead.
Married in blue: you will always be true.
Married in pearl: you’ll live in a whirl.
Married in green: ashamed to be seen.
Married in yellow: ashamed of the fellow
Married in brown: you’ll live out of town.
Married in pink: your spirits will sink.”
Brides in UK may well have started this downfall of the white wedding dress since the popular choices here for a long time now have been creams, off-whites, champagne and ivory.
