It's because people like are threatened by change, why not go looking for a red evening gown istead? I bought a evening gown for my wedding dress, It still looked stunning but was A LOT less expensive.

I actually saw a wedding on the beach in Los Angeles last summer where the bride was wearing a red dress. She looked stunning. I am more traditional and opted for ivory, but I think that every bride should be able to look their best on their day. And if that means red, go red!

A white wedding dress is a sign of purity. A red wedding dress would be a sign of a hooker.

You can have whatever wedding gown color you want, it might be hard to find but Casablanca and some of the bridal lines are starting to carry some colors and ones with color as accents. I belive Queen Victoria in the 1800's wore a white gown to be married in and then everyone wanted to have a white gown. It used to be white was a very dumb color to have for a dress because it would get stained easily and could not be worked in. Most brides wore a good Sunday dress. I wore white, I would of wore the pearl or champagne color that they have now, but it was white(which I my skin matched great :() or a ugly yellow ivory. I have been married for 8 years now and I love the color changes. I work in the bridal industry and many brides are already mothers, been married before or are not virgins. They tell me they are wearing white anyway, and I tell them if you wear white because you haven't had sex(absence of color/absence of sex)then my cousin should of wore plaid! It is less on what it used to be and strict regulations and now more what the bride and groom want. Which is how it should be anyway. PS-I think I am right about the history, but not sure, History of Fashion in college was long ago! Hope that helps, or at least you have my thoughts on it!

Here comes the bride.... All dress in RED?!

I have no idea. I'm only answering this question because I wanted to suggest that you could either try making your own or paying a dressmaker to do it for you. There are plenty of wedding dress patterns available (some of the bridal magazines carry them- I actually adapted one to wear as a party dress once- and in dressmaking shops) and you could make it up in whatever colour or fabric you so desired. I think its nicer to have a customised outfit for such a big occasion anyway, it means you don't look the same as every other bride that season.

Wearing the red colour on wedding came from Hindu deity Lakshmi who always dresses in Red and is being worshipped for wealth and prosperity. An Indian woman or girl is also called Goddess Lakshmi because Hindus believe the prosperity comes in a home from woman and woman have special blessings from Goddess Lakshmi. On Goddess Lakshmi the red color symbolizes activity. The golden lining (embroidery) on Her red dress denotes prosperity. The idea conveyed here is that the Goddess is always busy distributing wealth and prosperity to the devotees. This was followed by Hindu Indians and most Hindu Indian wore red colour for the auspicious occasions and weddings. The white colour denotes purity, calm and peace. The Indians wear white colour only for mourning. It is considered bad omen to wear white colour in happy occasions. This was Hindu tradition, but later on it became Indian tradition and culture. Thus many Christians and Muslims brides wear red wedding dresses. It is definitely not a colour of hookers or harlots. It is a misconception and to rate red as lowly colour is not appropriate. I love white lilies, but my fav is red roses. Every colour is beautiful and has its own meaning and can never be degraded to certain ideas or notions based on particular society or country or race. http://www.koausa.org/Gods/God6.html

It's all a matter of local taste. I thought white was symbolic of a first marriage. If it had anything to do with purity, it would disqualify up to half of the brides that would wear it. If I ever were to marry again, I think I would wear purple. This bride wore half white and half red. I don't think red clothing is a symbol of anything improper, for goodness sake, it's just a color.

I'd say culture. Majority in the US has a Christian faith/belief, where white is considered pure, and has been associated with the ceremony (wedding) which is pure in itself (join of two souls, coming together of two families, vows etc...). However, white does not indicate that red is dirty or malignant. Just that the social norm or practice sees white as the bridal color in most of the US. Logically thinking, there is more probability of someone (other than the bride) wearing a red dress (or any other COLOR) if red were the bridal color ("red" as a color stands out, is more attractive) than for someone wearing a white dress if the bridal color were "white", and the bride needs to stand-out and be noticed. After all its HER day...isn't it :)

Amanda, you are correct the trend for a white bridal dress was a fashion style (unintentionally set) by Queen Victoria. You are also correct, that for many, many years right up to the twentieth century women wore their best dress as a wedding dress regardless of colour. For many women from poorer scio-economic groups they borrowed wedding dresses from kin and close friends. Also, as we all know dresses were passed down within the family too.

A.R. Can you please clarify, are you asking this question for a greater cultural understanding of U.S. and western traditions or because you are seeking a red wedding dress? Furthermore, I believe that in today’s society you can basically wear what you want. Although, you may discover family members who are conservative and traditional by nature may try to pressure you into choosing something traditional. I have a very independent and non-traditional personality and I chose the colour black for my wedding colour and I did not wear a dress. I chose a very simple and elegant skirt and cardigan sweater. My flowers were white. Six years on and I have not regrets about the colour choice. It is the brides day, so she should wear what will make her happy and comfortable.

I am posting this from the website www.wedalert.com Hope it helps! Wedding Dresses - Why they are white and other wedding lore Brides have always worn white, right? Not so. In ancient times brides wore bright colored wedding dresses to signify their joy. White for western brides didn't become fashionable until Queen Victoria wore it at her wedding to signify her status. White dresses never did signify purity until the Christian churches put that label on them. So feel free to add a little color to your wedding outfit. Wedding bands made of hemp or braided grass were the earliest rings. They eventually fell out of favor, replaced by durable metals until about the 15th century when diamonds came upon the scene, to signify a valuable strong commitment, a tradition which most modern couples choose to keep. When grooms would "capture" their brides and or were afraid of evil spirits they would cover the woman's head to keep her from being recognized. Bridesmaids' dresses are all identical. Where did this practice originate? Long ago the brides friends wore the same exact outfit as the bride to confuse the evil spirits who wanted to destroy her happiness. It also helped to prevent the bride from being kidnapped by a rival suitor.

We do have them, but they aren't common. (Just did a websearch.) Aren't they GORGEOUS?

You can see tons of red wedding dresses at http://redhotbrides.com