Wednesday, June 8, 2011

French Inspired Wedding Custom #5 - The White Wedding Dress

For those of you new to my blog, My Darling Daughter (MDD) is getting married in September!  While visiting Provence this Spring, I was  told that several of the customs observed in the modern American wedding actually originated in France. I've researched this and found that the Bridal Trousseau, the Tossing of the Garter Belt, the Tossing of the Bridal Bouquet and the practice of having a Wedding Cake at the wedding reception may have all  originated in France!

French Inspired Wedding Custom #5 has to do with the color of the wedding dress.

Although Queen Victoria is often credited with creating the fashion of the white wedding dress, Anne of Brittany is said to have married Louis XII of France in a white dress in 1499 Before this time, a bride would wear her very best dress (of any color) often embellishing it with tassels, jewelry, beads and ribbons for her wedding.

Anne of Brittany


In 1840, Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe, wearing a white wedding gown, breaking the long tradition of  wearing a silver royal wedding dress. This was unusual at the time, but soon brides from all over Europe and America began wearing white wedding dresses as well. 

Prior to the introduction of the white wedding dress, Medieval brides from wealthy families wore rich colors and luxurious fabrics such as fur, velvet and silk.  Brides from less prosperous families wore simpler dresses that copied the more expensive dresses as closely as possible. 

Today's American and French bride typically wears a white or "off-white" wedding dress with her bridesmaids wearing colorful dresses. (Duh!)






There is an old bit of folklore that says:

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."



Looks like white and blue are my choices!  Other than white, what colors have you known brides to wear?

Leave me a note in my Comment section. I'd love to hear from you!   

Au revoir, Mitty






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