Brides have not always had many choices when it came to their wedding gowns and some never wore a wedding gown at all. Historically, function ruled over form.

The History of the Wedding Gown

Today, brides shopping for wedding dresses in Columbus have a wide arrange of styles and colors to choose from. The available options are almost limitless and brides are able to customize their dress if desired so that it is uniquely them. This was not always the case, however, and the wedding gowns of history looked much different from the gowns worn today.

Early Wedding Dresses

In humankind’s early history, marriage was a business transaction between families rather than a celebration of love. During these times, brides sealed the marriage deal by wearing a dress made of the most expensive fabrics and of the finest quality, her family could possibly afford. This served to flaunt her wealth and power. As marriage slowly became a matter of choice rather than a business arrangement, brides simply wore the very finest dress they had rather than creating one just for the ceremony. Any color was acceptable at this time, including black, but green was often avoided for fear of bad luck.

Dawn of the White Wedding

While some brides always wore white, the custom did not become popular until the 1840 wedding of England’s Queen Victoria. When she married Prince Albert, the matriarch wore a white gown adorned with orange blossoms. The look was beautiful and helped guide other brides toward white, which ultimately became a symbol of purity. At the time, white gowns were more of a bone or light tan in color as true white was difficult to achieve with available dying methods and very expensive.

White Goes Out For a Moment

The white wedding dress remained a popular staple of many weddings, particularly in America, until the depression era. During the Great Depression, women and their families simply lacked the money needed to buy a special dress that would be worn only once. Instead, brides simply took their vows while wearing their Sunday best. The lure of a bride’s special dress for her special day was strong, however, and wedding dresses came back into vogue as soon as economic conditions allowed.