When it comes to wedding dresses, it feels like there are hundreds of rules: Wear this; don’t wear that; you can’t do that; this is bad luck. Well, many brides are choosing to weigh their options and loosen the straps a little on some of these rigid wedding dress traditions. Here are a few of them.
Do You Wear Your “Inherited” Dress Or Buy A New One?
It’s a wedding dress tradition for daughters to wear their mother or grandmother’s gown. However, this tradition does not always go over well. Many daughters see their mother/grandmother’s dress as being outdated, cheesy, or downright ugly, and they simply don’t want to wear it. Other women may think the dress is okay, but they still want their own wedding dress that suits their own taste.
This is a wedding dress tradition that will ultimately come down to what the bride wants, however, there are options when it comes to this tradition. Many brides decide to wear their heirloom dress, but alter it to make it their own. Other brides decide to purchase or make their own gown, but then borrow something from their mother/grandmother’s dress, such as the veil or a bit of lace to hold their bouquet together.
Do You Preserve Your Wedding Gown Or Trash The Dress?
By now, you have surely heard of the “trash the dress” trend, which is becoming a wedding dress tradition in its own right. This is when brides literally trash their dress after the wedding in order to get great photos. Women are doing all kinds of things to their wedding dresses, including having food fights, playing paintball, swimming, dousing themselves in colored powder, having a friend paint artwork on it, rolling around in mud—even setting fire to them (yikes).
Image: rutimge.pw
Although this trend is growing rapidly, 46% of brides still prefer to save their wedding dress for someone else to wear in the future. The wedding preservation industry is still going strong, and the decision to keep the dress or have a fun photo shoot is entirely up to the bride. If you’re the kind of person who gets a lot of joy from sentimental photographs, maybe trashing the dress is the better choice. However, if you plan on having children (or already have them), it may be even more sentimental to you to preserve your wedding dress for one of them.
Matching Or Mix-And-Match Bridesmaids Dresses?
Many women want their bridesmaids to have traditional matching dresses for a uniform look at the altar and in the wedding photos. But more and more brides are choosing to go with very trendy mix-and-match bridesmaid dresses.
The big benefit of having mix-and-match bridesmaid dresses is that it allows the bridesmaids to have more options when it comes to what style or length goes best with their specific body type. However, some brides are determined to have their bridesmaids match perfectly as a wedding dress tradition, with no differing styles.
Image: sandipointe.com
This choice will come down to what the wedding couple really wants. The good news is, mix-and-match bridesmaid dresses come in countless styles and levels of formality, so even the most high-end brides should be able to find something satisfactory in a mix style. But hey, if uniform is what you want, go for it! After all, it’s your day.
Surprise Your Partner Or Get Their Opinion On The Dress?
Probably one of the biggest wedding dress traditions is not allowing your partner to see you on the wedding day until the ceremony. According to superstition, it’s bad luck for him or her to see you too soon. This “superstition” has turned into a tradition, however, to make the first moment when the couple sees each other extra meaningful, and most brides carry this tradition so far that they don’t even allow their partner to see their wedding dress until the wedding day.
Despite this, there are some brides who need their man’s opinion on everything—including the dress. After all, what if he really dislikes it? You don’t want to be wearing something he hates on your wedding day.
Image: blissfulbrides.sg
Our suggestion is this: if you feel that it truly is important for him to approve the dress beforehand, show it to him—but not on you. If he likes the dress, he will love it on you.
Traditional White Dress Or A Burst Of Color?
White is, of course, the most tradition wedding dress color for brides in the U.S. But for some women (14% of brides, in fact), a dress with color is more their cup of tea.
White is a wedding dress tradition because it is believed to represent purity; however, many brides these days are going the route of blue, yellow, pink, lavender, and even red for their big day. The idea is to wear a color that flatters them, looks great in pictures, and makes them feel comfortable. Some brides literally feel wrong in a white dress, after all.
Just remember that it’s your day, your decisions, and your comfort! Some brides would rather have dazzlingly colorful wedding photos than present themselves to everyone as traditionally “pure”.
Hopefully these points on making wedding dress traditions your own will help you make a few important decisions about your own gown. And if you’re also looking for the perfect wedding venue, take a look at our space at Olympia Banquet Hall and see if we’re a good match for your big day!
