Wedding traditions with the colour white

White is so tied to the Western wedding that many people think it is the only wedding colour. The custom is more recent and more varied than that, and white has a different meaning in other parts of the world.

How white became the fashion

Queen Victoria wore white lace at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, and the picture spread through magazines and department stores. White was a sign of wealth, since it was hard to keep clean, and later a symbol of purity, though the claim that white always stood for virginity is a modern simplification. Before that, brides wore their best dress in any colour.

White in other cultures

In Japan the shiromuku is white to show a bride who is ready to take on the colours of her husband's house. In many Buddhist and Chinese communities white is the colour of mourning, and a white wedding dress may be worn only for the photographs. In India some communities, such as Kerala Christians and Parsi brides, wear white or cream. In Western Christianity white is also the colour of baptism.