The wedding dress is a very special piece of clothing. Together with baptism and burial a marriage is one of the three great events in a one’s life. In history women have attempted to make special occasions a time when they dress accordingly and to most women choosing a wedding dress is one of the most occasions of all. It’s a time for even the ordinary woman to be extraordinary if only for that one day.

Royal Princesses have always been looked up to and little girls dream of the handsome Prince that will come and take them away on their white horse. In medieval times royal families married were of great importance because it often built alliances between countries. Therefore, it was up to the bride to represent her country magnificently.

In the past when a woman of everyday means could not afford to purchase a wedding dress with decorations or trim she would choose a plainer wedding dress that may have to become her Sunday best soon after the celebration or even become part of her everyday wardrobe. When you think about it it’s not a bad idea. In this time of going green and recycling perhaps this can be a time to give some thought to what you could do with the wedding dress after the wedding.

People in the past did not have the life expectancy that we have today so superstitions about a healthy life were easy to believe. Picking a particular color for the gown was a source of luck and could guarantee the brides fertility and richness.

White or off white was always a favorite that could symbolize a girl's virginity and innocence in the face of her impending vows. But it was not a practical shade for most purposes and it was not always the favorite choice. This is another tradition that has survived to this day. It is not as crucial to wear white as it once was and is still one of the favorite colors. Off white is another accepted color that may represent purity and innocence.

The deeper shade of red was definitely taboo by Victorian times, with its reference to scarlet women and hussies. Historically that may have been true but in modern times most people may not choose red but it would not be frowned up as it was in Victorian times. To this end you may want to be cautious about a color you choose if you are fearful of offending your family.

For brides of the lower classes, an extremely common shade of wedding gown was grey, because it was such a useful color to re-use as Sunday best. In Victorian times it became associated with girls in domestic service, as they would often be provided with a new grey dress each year by their employer. Its deeper shade of black was of course banned, with its permanent association with death and mourning.