The wedding gown

In every little girl's childhood wedding fantasy, one element always seems to take centre stage - sometimes even over the ideal groom! That one special item is, of course, the wedding gown. A bride's wedding ensemble, whether it's a traditional long gown, a flirty knee-length dress, or a chic suit, should make her feel radiant, beautiful, confident, and comfortable on her wedding day.

If you are a bride-to-be looking for a traditional long, formal gown, you will find many different styles and designs are available to suit all different tastes and body types. Ideally, the bride should begin shopping for her gown nine to twelve months before the wedding and order her dress at least six months before the wedding (to allow time for alterations).

Rememberm that depending on the formaility of the occasion, certain styles may be inappropriate. Save the more risque silhouettes for the hen do ;)

History and tradition of the wedding gown

In one form or another, the wedding gown has been around for ages in North America and Europe. Varying in colour and style from era to era, the wedding gown has been long been the centrepiece of this wonderful and symbolic occasion. In 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, white became the colour of choice for wedding gowns. Before 1840, blue was the typical colour, as it symbolized purity and innocence. The general public was quite surprised at Queen Victoria’s white gown. Brides began to copy her and soon white became the standard colour.

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century, gown styles varied, but they all defined the natural curves of the female body and remained, for the most part, white. In the early to mid-twentieth century, gown styles began to change,allowing for the apprearence of more skin and more colour variations. Mirroring the liberation and equality of women, wedding gowns became a product of individual expression more than a right of passage.