Wearing colour at your wedding and what it all means

For as long as we all can remember, the ivory wedding dress have been the symbol of weddings. Ivory wedding dresses are everywhere. In fact, you can’t avoid them in old movies, television shows, old photographs or find a vintage wedding dress that doesn’t come in ivory. Ivory has long been associated with weddings and it’s easy to see why. It’s elegant and timeless, and literally everyone looks good in a perfect white wedding dress.

As times change and things move on, we’re now seeing more and more brides stroll down the aisle in colours other than ivory. Donning a coloured dress can be a beautiful way to show off your personality or colourful side when you marry. Not all of us are going to be white dress kinda gals.

We’re here to delve behind the meaning of these colours and help you figure out if going for a colour is something you’re keen on.

Ivory

As we’ve said, ivory is the colour for wedding dresses. In terms of what it means, most of us have a pretty good idea. Ivory is a symbol for innocence, purity and chastity, which is why it is so tied in with weddings. A wedding used to be very different to what it is now, with brides being chaste and pure, and the dress reflecting that. This symbolism keeps ivory popular today, however, it’s also become more than the symbolism where many brides simply can’t imagine not marrying in a beautiful white dress.

Pink

If you’re looking to add a splash of colour to your wedding day apparel, but you don’t want to go too crazy, then pink is the perfect choice. Pink is a delicate colour that is often associated with femininity. Pink also symbolises innocence but has other characters to it. It has a sense of playfulness, romance and sweetness that doesn’t come with ivory. Wearing pink to your wedding will show off these qualities that you too may share, plus pink always reminds people of love so it’ll reaffirm why you’re all gathered together.

Red

If you want to make a big statement, then there’s no greater colour to do that than red. Red is bold and eye-catching and completely amazing for wedding dresses. Red has always symbolised passion. In addition, red symbolises love, strength and energy, which we think are all great things to be associated with on your wedding day.

Orange

If red isn’t exactly the right colour for you, then orange might be the right option instead. Like red, orange is a true statement colour that will look amazing on your wedding day. Orange is always going to symbolise a sense of fun and joy, as that is what people feel when they look at orange-coloured items. Happiness, creativity and enthusiasm are also associated with orange. So if you’re beyond happy that you and your spouse-to-be will be tying the knot and orange happens to be your favourite colour, then go all out and wear a fabulous orange dress for your wedding.

Yellow

While we’re in this sunshine colour palette, we might as well talk about yellow. Being the colour of sunshine, yellow is often associated with happiness. Yellow symbolises freshness, joy and warmth. Overall, yellow is a very happy colour that for most people would bring with it positive associations. So, if this is sounding like what you’re all about, then yellow is your perfect wedding dress colour.

Green

When people think of green, they often think of nature. Right now in the UK, everything is lush, green and completely irresistible so it would be easy to get drawn in by the idea of an amazing green wedding dress. Green symbolises harmony, growth, nature and serenity. All of these facets to the colour green are extremely beautiful and perfectly in line with what a wedding should be about. Green is a great colour to go with too because most people really suit it, and like pink, you can opt for a light tint so as to keep your injection of colour a bit more restrained.

Blue

Blue is – sometimes – the colour of the sky in the UK (am I right?) and the colour of the sea. So naturally, when you see blue, you immediately feel a sense of calm and peace. This is what the colour blue is all about. Blue also symbolises purity and life, but it has a more nuanced meaning than ivory does. For your colourful blue dress, you can opt for a lighter more delicate shade or a bolder saturated tone.

Purple

Purple is probably one of the common favourite colours out there and it’s easy to see why. Purple is a beautiful rich colour that is often associated with royalty. Purple symbolises mystery, independence, creativity and strength. A deep purple will be more reminiscent of strength, whereas light purple will bring the same femininity, innocence and romance that pink brings.

Brown or nude

Opting for a brown or nude dress will bring with them associations with earth, nature, home and wholesomeness. Going for either of these colours won’t be a huge step away from ivory, however the symbolism may be more in line with who you are.

Black

For a long time wearing a black wedding dress was seen as taboo, yet it needn’t be. These days pretty much any colour goes, so if black is your thing then definitely go for it. Black symbolises power, elegance and formality.

Silver

If you’re looking to go for a glitzy dress, then perhaps silver might be the right colour for you. Silver symbolises grace, sophistication and elegance, and is a more playful choice over grey which has similar associations but is more formal and conservative overall.

Gold

Like yellow, gold also symbolises happiness, as well as illumination, grandeur and warmth. Go for a gold dress if you’re looking for a true wow factor.