It may be true that the most common color for a wedding dress remains white, but today’s bride is free to follow her desire’s in choosing any color she wants. Not only are colored wedding dresses now more in vogue, but so are dresses with patterns.
Finding a different colored wedding dress can be an exciting and bold choice for a bride who wants to break away from tradition. From soft pastels to vibrant hues, there are countless options to explore that will make you stand out on your special day.
Anything that evokes a feeling of beauty for the wearer of the garment is acceptable, as a bride should wear whatever makes her feel fabulous on her big day.
Traditional Western Wedding
While it remains a tradition in the western world, the white wedding dress didn’t come into fashion until 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert. After this, the color became very popular, even though it originated with Anne of Brittany in 1499 when she married Louis XII of France.
White may still be considered the classic look of a bridal dress, but today there is no reason to allow this particular bit of history to dictate one’s choice of what to wear for their weddings.
Multicultural Wedding Gowns
In our multicultural world, many other colors are embraced. Some Eastern cultures wear a different color except white, a hue considered unlucky. For brides in China, Vietnam, India and Pakistan, the most popular wedding garment color to wear is red. At the same time, African bridal attire is generally multi-colored and patterned.
In the last several years, many fashion runways have showcased a variety of colorful gowns of many shades, including blue, violet, gray, pink, gold and even black!
Modern Wedding Dress Trends
So why does one choose a colorful dress? There is so much flexibility in today’s wedding celebrations that it is easy for each bride to tap into her unique personality and make choices that best reflect her tastes and whims.
Whether the bride-to-be might embrace the idea of a violet dress because it has been her lifelong favorite color or feels that a particular blue hue will evoke a certain “mood” she is drawn to or even desires to make a big, bold statement with a specific bright red, this has never been easier to facilitate than it is today.
Wedding dresses are a deeply personal decision for the bride to make. Wedding dresses have so many styles and choices to choose from. Deciding if a colored wedding dress is right for you can be even more challenging. You can use a solid bold color or a pastel floral print if you want to add color.
Choosing Colorful Wedding Dresses
When choosing a colorful wedding dress, the most prevalent aspect to keep in mind is how well a particular color complements your skin complexion’s undertones. For example, someone with many yellow undertones in their complexion may feel that a gold dress does not compliment them in the same way a blush-colored dress will.
Or someone with a very fair complexion may find that the black dress they adored makes them feel more like Morticia from The Addams Family than the beautiful bride they had envisioned.
1. Skin Tone
While skin tone and various colors can complement each other, it is important to stress here how the dress color makes the individual feel is far more critical than any cosmetic “rules” espoused by fashionistas.
Those with cool skin tones may look washed out by cool colors such as blue or gray. Conversely, someone with a warm skin tone may feel overly saturated wearing a yellow dress, particularly if they don’t have the contrast of dark or vivid hair color. Sometimes these issues can be compensated for by adding another pop of color, a bold contrasting sash around the waist or a pattern to the bodice.
2. Complexion
Choosing a color that compliments the undertones of your complexion will make you glow in those photos captured on your wedding day. The overall goal in selecting complimentary colors to your skin’s undertone is for the bride to appear radiant. It is, however, hard to dispute that if the bride feels radiant, then she will no doubt appear bright to all who come to witness her day.
3. Style
The bride-to-be can choose from many styles of colored wedding dresses. Her wedding dress can have airy tulle, a halter neck, puff sleeves or a floral print. Floral embroidery with pale colors is better than going for a bold floral print wedding dress. The non-traditional bride wants to stand out for all the right reasons for her wedding day.
Finding the right color palette for your wedding color theme can be challenging. The bride can choose a color that matches her wedding theme colors in her dress. The special day will have a wedding photographer capturing the special moments and you will want to ensure the colors fit correctly. The right color will complete the scene and show off your elegance.
Traditional White Wedding Dresses
Traditional colors of wedding dresses are ivory, bright white, off-white, champagne and cream but gaining in popularity are the soft pastels of pinks, lavender, silver, yellows, blues, greens and even creamy pale oranges.
In the last few decades, it was primarily brides in second weddings, eschewing the white from their first foray down the aisle, who embraced colored wedding dresses. Not so today. Sometimes the choice of color is as simple as the bride making a visual statement to ignore the more common colors of tradition and embrace her vision of what she wishes to convey about herself to her wedding guests.
Many softer traditional pastels are perfect for the plethora of spring weddings that occur as they invoke the same colors of spring itself. There is also the prevalent thought that the shades of pink and blush share a psychological connection to romance.
Can You Get Married in a Colorful Wedding Dress?
The tradition of wearing white is popular in films and TV shows, but the color of the wedding dress doesn’t affect your relationship. Dress in what makes you look fabulous.
When it comes to bright and vivid colors, the wearer is making a bold statement. Who doesn’t love the richness of a deeply saturated red dress or breathtaking royal purple? Yes, wear those lush, vivid colors with absolute confidence and wow everyone in attendance!
Your guests will remember your day. Sometimes, choosing a bright color allows a relatively easy way to exercise one’s inner rebel. The more vivid a color is, the more likely it will be seen during an evening wedding. Evening weddings generally provide a tone of more formality, the difference of sitting down to dinner as opposed to the lunch of a day wedding.
Colored Wedding Dresses
Join the trend in wearing a colorful wedding dress to your wedding. A great option is a two-piece convertible bridal gown with a subtle hint of color. You can add accessories to the bridal gown to highlight the color theme on your wedding day.
Colorful wedding dresses with long blue sleeves and silver accents are a stunning style for your ceremony and reception. If you want to go with pink, consider blush tones with ivory to complete your romantic beauty. Overall you want to pick a color that suits your inspiration.
If you want an attractive option, pick a bold color for your wedding dress. When you go shopping and need inspiration, look at the colors red or yellow for your wedding dress. You will have fun looking at these dresses.
Wedding season is here and many colorful wedding dresses are on the market. Bridal fashion has taken notice of the colorful wedding dress theme for 2023.
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1. Red Wedding Dresses
Red wedding dresses are sure to amaze your guests and your partner. Red is recognizable, carries tremendous confidence and suits women with interest in the spotlight. Red wedding dresses are fantastic for weddings. Using colors like brown, cream, nude or ivory is becoming increasingly popular. Neutral colors can be chic, romantic styles and will always remain popular.
2. Black and White Wedding Dresses
Including black in your wedding dress is an excellent choice. You can go with a bold white and black contrast with your dress or make a white dress appear black by adding black accessories or decorations like lace, band or flower.
Other choices include a black and white wedding two piece dress for a romantic flair.
3. Blue and Navy Bridal Gowns
Popular colors for fall wedding dresses are blue and navy — an excellent way to create a dramatic and moody bridal look. A soothing color suitable for most weddings, blue is perfect for any theme, from rustic barns to stylish ballrooms. Gold accessories look stunning on a blue or navy dress.
4. Bright Yellow Bridal Dress
Best suited mainly for women who have dark hair and a darker complexion, a yellow bridal dress is a very charming choice. A perfect pair of shoes could consist of contrasting colors or lighter shades. It is ideal for eye shadow, accenting a beautiful yellow hue in a green, blue and yellow theme.
Remember when you buy something new you should also buy something blue. So consider some blue accessories to go with your bright yellow dress.
5. Dark Color Wedding Dresses
Some modern weddings have dark dresses. Compared to A-Line wedding dresses, they are lovely classics. There is something special about brides who have a unique style to change traditions and have more confidence. The trend right now is to choose a blue, black or deep green dress to rock your wedding day.
6. Ombre Gowns for Non-Traditional Brides
An ombre gown can make a wedding more interesting without going too far. Gradually faded color in neutral clothes provides you with the desired balance between non-traditional and traditional. The colors are possible with deep hues, mixed color palettes or a simple color palette.
Blush ombre gowns are fantastic options, especially if you have darker pink at the bottom of the dress. The style looks best if the bride’s gown is sleeveless.
7. Pink Wedding Gowns
Pink tones are associated with playful femininity and flirtatious nature. Colors in this pallet include pale rose, subtle blush tones and blossom hues through to more vibrant hot pinks. Consider wearing some mint green accents with long sleeves if you choose a blush dress. Find inspiration for fun accessories by looking at the greens in floral arrangements.
8. Champagne Colorful Wedding Dresses
A champagne wedding gown is perfect for brides who want to fall in love with a new style. The minimalist non-traditional bride wears champagne as an elegant neutral tone that combines clean lines and streamlined designs.
If you want to stray from a classic wedding dress, consider exhibiting a gold undertone in a champagne wedding dress with long sleeves! This soft and subtle colorway goes excellent with lace, tulle, chiffon and organza. The light gold color provides a subtle shimmer which is why we love it.
9. White Wedding Dress
Remember, white is still a color. If you have looked through these colors for a colorful wedding dress and are left uninspired, maybe this article confirmed the perfect wedding dress for you is white. There is a reason why white weddings are seen in movies; it is a perfect choice. The style shows off the traditional aspects of chastity. Throw on a little blush and put a veil on your head; you will look great whatever you decide!
Serena & Dominic are a married couple and parents to 3 wonderful children. They plan weddings, run multiple small businesses, and curate wedding events.
By giving you everything you need to make your dream wedding attainable, you can eliminate stress, get the ‘wedding glow,’ and focus on spending this rocking day with the person you adore. Discover their podcast for more information