I have a question about white wedding dresses?

Question

Ok first i would like to say. I really dont know where this question should be. So srry if its in the wrong place.

ok...

Why do alot of people where white wedding dresses to there weddings. The white dress is a sighn of purity. But so many people who have had s*x before marrige wheres the white dress. Howcome? Do they not know what it means or something?

Answer 1

its what they choose to wear to their wedding..just like my boyfriends mom wore yellow its what they wanted..

Answer 2

It is traditionally a symbol of purity, but now it is just that a tradition. It's like the way that you still have cake or do a bridal waltz, it is tradition. In the end does it matter, the people wearing white are not hurting anyone. I wore a white dress even tho I was not 'pure' so to speak.  

Answer 3

First of all, the white wedding dress was never intended to be a sign of purity.  It started out back in the mid 1800s as a symbol of a family's wealth and prosperity.  When Queen Victoria got married, her white wedding gown became a fad among well-to-do brides, because it was a status symbol to wear a dress in such an impractical color as white, that could only be worn once.  Most middle-and-lower-class brides just used to wear their best church dress to get married, with some flowers pinned to the bodice, so only the wealthy could afford to buy a dress made specifically for the occasion of their wedding anyway.

The fact that the dress was white took on its implications of virginity and purity sometime during the early 20th century, but that was never the official reason for a white dress to begin with.

So to answer your question, white wedding gowns have just become a wedding tradition, just like the cake or the ring or any other symbol we've invented as part of the traditional wedding ceremony.  Anyone who wants to can wear white, regardless of their virginal status.  

Answer 4

white was a sign of wealth in the olden days not really peurity. I think people think of white being pure and then made up that tradition as well.When you grow up you can wear what ever color wedding dress

Answer 5

That's from the old days.  Doesn't matter anymore.  

It's traditonal and it's pretty, that's all.

Answer 6

As many have already mentioned...white is a symbol of wealth.  as for purity...losing your virginity does not make you unpure.  thats just a stupid myth.  I wore a white dress even though people knew we were living together already.  I dont believe in wearing a dress to show my sexual status to the world.  its nobodies business wheather or not I'm a virgin on my wedding day.

Answer 7

Actually, the white dress is not a symbol of purity.  That's a fairly common misconception that many people within the US hold.  Blue is actually the traditional symbol of purity.

Historically, a bride simply wore her best dress for her wedding in whatever color suited her.  In the Victorian era, upper class brides began wearing white gowns as a symbol of the family's wealth.  By design a white dress is a luxury because it can get dirty very easily and would most likely not be worn again.  The ability to spend a significant amount of money on a single use dress simply proved that the family was well off financially.

Now further back in European culture, the white dress was the official color of mourning.  The first recorded instance of a bride marrying in white was Mary, the Queen of Scots, because some claimed she was not happy with her arranged marriage.  

Edited to add:  The others are correct though.  Queen Victoria started the current white dress fad with her choice.

As I said though, it's a fairly common misconception, but now you know!

Best wishes!!!!!!

Answer 8

I think that people, regardless of past actions, would like to consider themselves pure on their wedding day. Also, I think it is a little bit more of tradition that people chose white. Oh well.  

Answer 9

That's not what it "means".

It means what you want it to mean.

It started as a sign of wealth, women could afford the expensive white material, and furthermore a dress they'd never wear again.

Later, many felt it took on the meaning of "purity" but that is not always the case.

I personally don't feel like my intimate life is anyone there's business except me and my guy.

You can wear whatever you want, there are not laws stopping you.. what, do you think someone can "check"?

Also, this question has been asked 100 times.. you can probably go back and read those answerers for more insight.

Answer 10

You are incorrect in your assumptions of white dresses.  That became a widely accepted theory, however the color of a bride's dress does not represent purity, it in fact represented wealth.  The veil was actually the symbol of purity.

Answer 11

TROLL! C'mon, you're trying to pretend that you think the white dress symbolizes purity?

And besides, it's rude to assume that any given bride isn't a virgin. Yes, we all know that statistically she isn't, but really, would you want someone to make an assumption that rude about you?

Answer 12

I'm sure they do, but a lot of traditions have gone out the door recently. That one went out a while ago. I wore a white dress and I wasn't " Pure" in the physical sense, but I was pure of heart, love and happiness the day of my wedding. Weddings are for the bride and groom, what they choose to do, is for them to decide and is not for you to pass judgement on.

Answer 13

Its traditional, and many women want to feel bridal no matter what their previous history was. Some people do not share the religious belief that you should wait, and they should not feel like they need to put color on their dress because some people think white is only for virgins. I heard that the white wedding gown came about to show how rich you were, not about purity. Either way, it is a personal decision.  

Answer 14

Some people take this tradition more seriously than others.  Since I'd been married before, I didn't want to wear an all-white dress.  I compromised and got a white dress with red trim.  I figured if I was gonna announce that I wasn't pure, it may as well be loudly!  J/k, I wanted to shout about my love with the color of love :-)

You may learn in life that it doesn't pay to be judgemental.

Answer 15

White dresses have often been referred to as "purity," however, white wedding dresses became a staple of "western" (or American) culture, as many other regions always wore colored dresses even in the US pre-1960, people wore colored dresses.

I believe you've been somewhat misinformed. The dress color has to do with more of a "traditional" ceremony than purity.  

Answer 16

Contrary to what a lot of people say, white dresses did not start out as a sign of purity. Queen Victoria was the first one to wear a white dress to her wedding (in recorded history anyway) and it was a sign of wealth -- her parents could easily afford to get her a dress to wear just one day.

It was a very new thing for society back then. Usually women either wore their best dress they had or made or had made for them by a tailor a new dress that they would then have as their best dress, and it was according to their station in life -- maybe a formal party dress if they went to formal parties, but more of a pretty but regular church dress if they did not go to parties and were not wealthy.

So, the white dress thing does not mean purity.

The veil on the other hand has been a symbol of something being uncovered for the first time, and I personally don't think someone who's obviously not a virgin because she has a child or has been living with her fiance should have a veil, but I don't consider it my business and would not condemn a happy bride who chose a veil.

I was pregnant and 21 at my wedding and though few people knew, I still chose a simple hairpiece that was clearly not a veil, but I might have done that anyway because a veil was not my thing and what I chose went much better with my WHITE dress. :-)

Answer 17

There is no rule that says what you have to wear as your wedding dress.  People are allowed to wear whatever they like, and most people like to keep the tradition of the white dress.

Answer 18

Actually, it does not mean purity. White symbolizes wealth traditionally. It's a common misunderstanding.

Answer 19

hi! well it's just an american tradition, just like the chinese wear red and indians where colorful saries. white in an american wedding distinguishes the bride from the other women. however, if a woman wanted to wear like blue or something she could ask her guests to wear all white...you know, it just makes her special to stand out

Answer 20

We're all aware that white traditionally means purity in the sense of virginity.  But a lot of brides are tossing away tradition.  Premarital s*x is becoming increasingly common, so it's no longer as taboo.  

Most modern weddings don't really view a white dress as a sign of virginity.  It still symbolizes purity, but a purity of the heart (rather than purity of the crotch).

Honestly, I've seen brides with children wearing white dresses - it's obvious how the children came about, but no one really has a problem with it.

A lot of traditional rules are no longer adhered to.  it's not that everyone is stupid or ignorant about tradition, it's just that it doesn't seem relavant.