The History of Black Wedding Dresses
White wasn’t always the traditional color for wedding dresses. In the pre-victorian era, women wore other colors on their wedding day, especially black dresses. It was common for Spanish brides to wear a black dress on their wedding day because it symbolized their love for the groom until death.
Additionally, wedding dresses were very expensive for anyone who wasn’t fairly rich. For this reason, black was the most preferable color due to it being less noticeable for stains.
Pros of Wearing a Black Wedding Dress
As black wedding dresses move toward symbolizing modernity, elegance, and formality, brides are discovering the many pros of wearing one.
Elegant and Sophisticated
Black is a timeless color that has long been associated with elegance and sophistication. The color black, represented in fashion, can symbolize power, intelligence, and luxury. The dark color also helps to hide any stains the dress might encounter throughout the night, achieving a clean-cut look despite the many activities that could stain a light-colored dress.
Unique and Non-traditional
With wedding dresses traditionally being white or ivory, opting for a black wedding dress breaks tradition, creating a bold and unconventional statement. A black wedding dress suits a bride who values her individuality, uniqueness, and confidence in standing out from a crowd.
If a bride is looking for a way to leave a lasting impression on guests, wearing a black wedding dress creates a visually striking and memorable statement.
Flattering On Various Skin Tones
Due to the color’s versatile nature, a black dress is flattering on various skin tones. Black clothing creates a striking contrast against skin tones, enhancing the natural features of the person wearing it. Black also tends to compliment a wide range of undertones, including warm, cool, and neutral tones. A black wedding dress can beautifully complement many complexions.
Cons of Wearing a Black Wedding Dress
While black wedding dresses can be stunning and unique, there are potential cons that might be turning some brides away from this non-traditional dress choice.
Cultural Implications
For many cultures, black clothing has long been associated with mourning and death, and sometimes even bad luck and misfortune. Though black wedding dresses are no longer considered taboo, certain individuals might not find them fitting for a celebratory occasion.
Photography Challenges
Though black wedding dresses have the potential to come out stunning in photos with the right background and contrast, not all wedding photographers are trained to photograph black dresses and might not know the best practices. Make sure to research photographers beforehand and look at their portfolios for reference.
A quick tip: Black wedding dresses photograph beautifully against a white background, like snow, making them a popular choice for winter weddings.
Accessorizing is Limited
Access to certain styles or colors of veils, headpieces, jewelry, or any other common accessory worn on a bride’s wedding day may be limited due to most accessories designed to compliment a white or ivory-colored dress. Additionally, you’d want another contrasting color for the accessories to stand out against the black to avoid monotony, but you also don’t want the accessories taking too much attention away from the dress.
