Wedding Thread Spin Off - Black Dresses

[Imzadi]

I don't think it matters what color guests wear. I wore black to my own wedding.

Well, I wore a black dress to my own wedding!

This reminds me of an extremely short-lived, cable, reality TV series on helping real life couple have their dream wedding on TV, with only a few days to organize the whole thing.

For one episode, the bride was very goth, and at other times into wearing bright, zany, off-beat clothes and had tattoos all over her body. However, because she was that way in all other areas of her life, she really wanted for her wedding to be the ONE DAY where she would be traditional and wear a traditional, simple, white wedding dress. It was her ONE REQUEST of the whole wedding planning. She didn't care what anyone else would wear.

As the host went over the dresses available, it turned out the maid of honor had brought her own bright red, strapless ballgown that had a huge poufy, Cinderella skirt, to wear as her dress. It was stunningly beautiful. It literally out-shown the plain-ish white wedding dresses the host/wedding planner brought for the bride.

In the absence of time (and probably budget,) the host decided to switch out any white dress he brought and replace it with the red ballgown and make the maid of honor wear something else that was plainer.

The maid of honor vehemently fought for the bride to wear a white gown as that's what she requested, but she was out voted. The host said she can't wear a dress more stunning than the bride. The BEST dress available was the one she had brought with her. His reasoning was: plus the bride wore brilliant colors every other day of her life. She'd love that her wedding dress was a bright color too.

Fast forward to the wedding day: the bride is shown the red dress she is to put on. She's in shock, to say the least. As she's putting it on, she says it must be a joke. (She even likes whatever else the maid of honor was given instead.) She's waiting for someone to tell her she's being punked and then a white dress brought out for her. She's crying.

Nope. No white dress brought out for her.

She goes to the ceremony and it's clear she is very depressed. It's all over her face. It was a REAL wedding, with a real minister there to marry the bride and groom in front of their families, not a fake wedding. So, even if they decide later to have another wedding and do it THEIR way once the show is over, THIS is their first and real wedding. She is clearly crushed.

Needless to say, the show didn't last long. Maybe 4-6 episodes.

 

[Imzadi]

Are you insinuating I must have gotten married in the 20s?

Oops. I didn't mean to out you.

I'd still love to see the black and white photos you have of your wedding though.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Oops. I didn't mean to out you.

I'd still love to see the black and white photos you have of your wedding though.

I'd share them with you, but they're too old to handle now. I'm afraid I'll damage them.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My wedding dress was champagne in color (2012 purchased, wedding 2013) although champagne and ivory are common colors for wedding dresses. I added straps for the end product.







TBH my only regret was spending as much on the veil. I want to say it was $200-$250 and that was just far too much IMO for it. I think the thing is there are places where you can get wedding dresses in different colors but they are sold in stores with other dresses. I've seen a lot of dresses that would be stunning on a bride. I don't blame actual wedding retailers for not selling more variety because it wouldn't be worth it in the end for them, they wouldn't sell enough to actually stock enough of them including sizes and varieties. I mean look at David's Bridal (where I got my dress) filing for Chapter 11 and closing stores. It's not as if providing black, blue, green, pink or whatever would have saved them.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I personally stay away from solid black attire at a wedding, I have worn a color combination with black but not straight up black. I guess in a way connecting it to a more somber event but that's a personal viewpoint. My sister-in-law wore a great black jumpsuit to a wedding a few years back. If it's a formal wedding black is very chic looking.

 

[klacey1]

Grew up and have mostly attended weddings in the northeast. Black is by far the most popular color to wear at weddings. At my own wedding, I’m pretty sure only one person wore black, but I think that’s because it was in Orlando in May and most people wore springy colors and light fabrics.
I’ve never been to a wedding where the bride wore a colored dress:

 

[JLTraveling]

Pretty sure it's a regional thing, or possibly just family tradition? All I know is that I wore a black dress (with a print, but it was small) and black tights to my grandmother's funeral. And my other grandmother was beside herself because I was wearing too much black. Pretty sure if I had shown up at a wedding in black she would have disowned me. She's gone now (and in her honor I didn't wear black to her funeral), but I think I'd still get the side eye from family if I turned up in black at a wedding.

 

[Imzadi]

Pretty sure it's a regional thing, or possibly just family tradition? All I know is that I wore a black dress (with a print, but it was small) and black tights to my grandmother's funeral. And my other grandmother was beside herself because I was wearing too much black. Pretty sure if I had shown up at a wedding in black she would have disowned me. She's gone now (and in her honor I didn't wear black to her funeral), but I think I'd still get the side eye from family if I turned up in black at a wedding.

Was your grandmother Irish? Irish wakes are more of a celebration than a sombre event. Maybe for some, the funerals are too?

 

[JLTraveling]

Was your grandmother Irish? Irish wakes are more of a celebration than a sombre event. Maybe for some, the funerals are too?

Nope. That would actually make sense. Grandma was English, pre-Mayflower, Daughter of the Revolution, closely descended from President Tyler. But she was also Free Methodist, which split from the Methodist church in 1860 because the Methodists were getting too liberal. So I can only imagine that in addition to the prohibitions on dancing, alcohol, movies, jewelry, and lots of other things, maybe there's also some kind of dress code thing that prohibits black clothing? Not too sure, the last time I stepped foot in that church I was 6 or 7 years old.

 

[design_mom]

I didn't know about the prohibition on black at weddings till I got married myself, when my fiance's aunt called to ask " "permission" to wear a black dress to our wedding. She wanted me to know that it was absolutely NOT a statement about the wedding, but she had a dress she really liked, and if I really had a problem with her wearing black, she'd go find a different dress, but...

I told her that I was fine with whatever she wanted to wear, then I asked my mother "that was kind of weird, right?" and she told me no, it's a thing. She said you don't wear black to weddings unless you're making a statement (like "I'm in mourning because I think the bride and groom are making a mistake.") I'd never heard of that before, but I'd also never worn black to a wedding... and I probably won't ever, because my mom's words would echo in my ears whether they're true or not. (I think that it applies to solid black, not black as part of a print.)

 

[DLgal]

Didn't read any replies, but IMO, a black dress is ALWAYS an appropriate option, for pretty much event/occasion.

I find all the "rules" surrounding weddings to be so tiresome.

 

[CGB]

Well, I attended a wedding yesterday and couldn't bring myself to wear my newest dress, which is black. I chose a colorful skirt and top with sandals... which was much more appropriate (and comfortable) for a Saturday afternoon with 90+ degree temps.