You don’t have to wear a white wedding dress

For some women, wearing a white wedding dress just doesn’t sit right. For feminists, the idea of changing your surname, being given away and vowing to obey just seems a little outdated. Modern weddings can be whatever they want to be and there’s no longer such a need to retain those old values that might jar with contemporary feelings.

Whilst white and ivory dresses are still by far the most popular, more brides are choosing coloured gowns instead. Many wedding stores are reporting selling more non-traditional dresses than ever before. Some popular choices include deep reds in satin and silk, gold sequins, grey, black and also white or ivory sequins on a coloured dress for a contemporary nod to the traditional.

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We can thank celebrities in part for their role in promoting bright, colourful wedding dresses. For example, Gwen Stefani and Jessica Biel both shrugged off the traditional white for a burst of colour. Initially coloured gowns were introduced in many stores from 2010 and sales have doubled since then. But they are not the preserve of the rich and famous as real women are choosing them, displaying the complexity of what modern women want from their clothes.

When asked, most women state that they desire a dress that’s personal and locally made. White wasn’t always the bridal colour. In the past, red was the colour of choice for brides. It was Queen Victoria who made the bold move to go against tradition and wear white to her wedding with Prince Albert in 1840. It was the dress she wanted, made from British fabrics and she wore what she wanted! Whatever colour you choose, be sure to set it off with the stunning backdrop of a great Gloucestershire Hotel Wedding Venue like hatton-court.co.uk/gloucester-cotswolds-weddings

Times are indeed changing, with a recent poll revealing almost half of American women disagreeing that brides should wear white. The ideal scenario would be finding a local dressmaker who could fit a dress perfectly and make it in whatever colour, style or material you desired.

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Many brides also find the idea of supporting local businesses appealing, wanting their clothes to be ethically sourced, environmentally-friendly and socially conscious. The result being a dress that’s perfectly them and truly reflects the personality of the wearer.

There is also a desire to reflect a bride’s unique heritage. Whatever that heritage is, it can be reflected through the style, design and material of the wedding gown. You often can’t get this effect with pure white or ivory dresses. For example, in Eastern cultures, white was worn at funerals and good luck colours included bright pink, gold and red.

Plus size brides are another sector that have been overlooked. Bigger brides have traditionally had to pay more, suffer from a lack of choice and not look particularly flattered by white either. Thankfully, more designers are acknowledging this and creating beautiful, custom-made dresses in a wide range of materials and colours.