Singaporebrides | Essentials
June 2011
Your Gorgeous White Wedding
What would a wedding be without the colour white? Or rather, where would this colour of purity and innocence be if Queen Victoria hadn’t worn a white wedding dress at her wedding? Even in these modern times, white weddings can be classic, timeless, and yet sexy.
Before Queen V, royal brides wore heavily brocaded gowns with silver and gown threads, while common folk wore anything from blue and yellow, to practical black, brown or grey. White was considered, and still is in some cultures, a colour of mourning, so it was inappropriate for a wedding until Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840. Even after that, only the really elite would wear white wedding dresses to show the world that they were rich enough to choose a gown that could be easily ruined. Soon this practice became a tradition.
1. White is a gorgeous colour, as a wedding gown, as a bouquet, or as a wedding theme. An entirely white wedding is immediately seen as luxurious, a throwback to the “elitist” school of thought. But white, because of its versatility, can be complemented or contrasted with many other colours for different effects. Silver and gold accents are traditional and vintage, while black and lime green are the easiest colours to match with white. If you’re a fun and fashionable bride, the colours to be seen in this season is Royal Blue and Fuchsia Pink.
2. If you’re having a White Victorian wedding, don’t forget a heavy textured gown with a corseted bustier and a veil. Women were required to wear veils in all churches all through to the 19th century, but it has become such a symbol of the bride, even though it is no longer required.
3. White flowers aren’t the easiest to find, especially since most of them are seasonal and can be expensive. White roses are beautiful but if you’d like a nice accent to your white wedding, yellow or champagne roses look regal and elegant.
4. Hyacinths are the flowers of rebirth, an apt meaning for your wedding, no? Bunches of these look very simple yet sweet for a minimalist white wedding. They make wonderful table arrangements, and the rich green of the stems contrast so well with white.
5. If you need to find an item to be your “something blue” but don’t want to ruin all your white wedding décor, go for Royal Blue roses. While it is an unconventional colour for the bridal bouquet, it will definitely look fantastic against a full white wedding, or with a white and blue themed wedding.
6. Instead of having a rather common white wedding car, go for a sexy dark bluish-silver car and decorate it with lace, tulle, and tiny white flowers and bulbs. So vintage, and so gorgeous.
7. Nothing says “Victorian” like a black and white wedding. It doesn’t have to turn gothic if you don’t want it to; black bows, black monogrammed napkins or wedding favours and black lace is very modern. Black and grey feathers, when used generously, can be very reminiscent of royal balls. Go for huge ostrich plumes for you’re bold, otherwise opt for the smaller and softer marabou feathers.
8. You have the gown and the veil, why leave out the gloves? There are many types of gloves you can choose from, but elbow-length, satin gloves look best with cap-sleeves or sheath-type dresses. If you’re wearing a strapless gown, try on a pair of see-through lace wrist-gloves.
9. While I personally wouldn’t advice brides to ask their bridesmaids to wear white, polka dots are fun! The bigger the dots are, the more casual the dresses will be. How about tiny polka dots for the bridesmaids, and big cute dots for the flower girls? A black and white polka dot wedding can be really fun.
10. Since we’re planning our dream wedding here, it is totally okay to throw in a pair of white Christian Louboutin Canonita 100 crepe-satin heels. Totally okay.
11. While clutches are not an essential accessory to the bridal outfit, if you’re having a destination wedding in summer, you should keep some make-up handy. This white lace and sequin beauty will enhance a sleek, unadorned wedding dress.
12. Also to go with a simple white wedding dress, these Badgley Mischka Randall pumps can peek out subtly from under your long skirt or look really pretty with a knee-length tea-dress.
13. Who says you can’t wear white for the evening? Add some fun elements to your wedding outfit as you wind down for the night with drinks. These feather earrings from Dorothy Perkins are simple, yet says a lot about your character.
14. This brand has been making big waves in the fashion industry, but that doesn’t mean you can work Alexander McQueen into bridal fashion. This animal print clutch with his famous knuckle dusters as a design and a function will look great at night.
15. Like chocolate fountains? How about a white chocolate fountain? Have one of these at your dessert table and, trust me, your wedding will be the talk of the town. I definitely will be hovering around it all night.
16. There aren’t many white-coloured drinks you can serve at your wedding, apart from Baileys and milk. Indulge in some bubbly. They’re a beautiful golden colour, and champagne is a drink for celebrations.
17. White goes with many other colours, even prints. As long as you’re consistent, it is very hard to go wrong. Work with your venue coordinator to see what they have in their inventory that you can work with, and discuss what items you can bring in on your own.
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