In the medieval era<\/a>, most marriages were contracted for reasons other than love. Some couples were joined together in matrimony to bind families and foster relationships for business purposes or political ambitions. Arranged marriages were the norm, particularly for those of noble blood and high social standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, a bride was expected to dress in a manner that befitted her wealth and social status, as she wasn\u2019t only representing herself. They were free to wear their best dress regardless of color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many chose vibrant, rich colors, expensive furs, silks, and velvets, sparing no expense. Also, the size of the material in the wedding dress reflected the bride’s social status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the longer the train and more elaborate the sleeves were, the richer the bride\u2019s family was perceived to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The average bride did not necessarily have to buy a new dress but wore the finest she owned. As a result, even brides considered the poorest wore their best church dress on their wedding day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was not common for women to wear a white wedding dress, as many associated it with mourning. Many preferred luxurious fabrics in red, blue, gold, or other bright colors, heavily decorated with jewels, lace, frills, etc. However, there were a few exceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first recorded princess to wear a white wedding dress was Phillipa of England, daughter of King Henry IV. She married Eric of Pomerania in the year 1406. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On her royal wedding day, she was adorned in a tunic with a cloak of white silk. The white silk was bordered with squirrel fur and ermine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mary, Queen of Scots, also wore a white wedding dress when she married her first husband, Francis, the Dauphine of France, in 1559. She chose white because it was her favorite color, even though white was then the color for mourning for French queens. Even then, white wedding dresses were not a widespread trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, white wedding dress history would not be complete without Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria<\/a> made the western fashion trend<\/a> of white wedding dresses popular in 1840. This was after her wedding to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Royal brides before Queen Victoria wore red brocaded gowns with white and silver threads. But she stunned the world in the Royal Chapel of St James\u2019s Palace in London by wearing a white gown trimmed with Honiton lace accents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since white wasn\u2019t the ideal choice for elite brides, Queen Victoria\u2019s dress surprised many. However, the color white reflected her innocence, purity, and faithfulness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only was the illustration of the dress largely published, but the dress also became a standard for stylish elite brides in the Victorian era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By 1849, women\u2019s magazines claimed that white was the best and most appropriate choice for a wedding dress. As a result, the white wedding dress became a popular symbol that embodies innocence, purity, and the bride\u2019s virginity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, white became the staple for weddings, with many brides \u2014 royals, elites, and common folks \u2014 choosing it as their preferred color. However, many bridal dresses were centered according to the couple’s religion, culture, and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/image-15.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe History of the White Wedding Dress<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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