Wedding Gowns: Costumes for a Dream Come True

Rich in symbolism and tradition, wedding gowns are the central objects of wedding dreams come true for brides through the ages. The special day is a once in a lifetime (or second, or third) chance for a bride to live out a fantasy, become the star and center of attention, and dress up more beautifully than anyone else at the ball. Practicality of accessories, jewelry, shoes, headpieces or veils takes a secondary role to fulfilling the vision held by the bride, and perhaps her mother.

Simpler less formal weddings may require just a pretty dress or fashionable suit, one that can be worn again to another party or the theater. But for an extravagant gala affair wedding gowns need to be imbued with a sense of history and tradition. After all, a wedding is one of the three pivotal events, rights of passage if you will, of life. Unlike the other two, birth and death, a bride can dress for the occasion.

The wedding gown becomes the central design element around which the styles and colors of the bridesmaid's and maid of honor's dresses will need to be matched. At this point the bride, or whoever is responsible for these decisions, may want to consult a wedding designer.

Designers who specialize in weddings will know how to coordinate all the elements of the occasion beginning with helping choose a theme. Again, this begins with the vision and imagination of the bride, but must include location (church, garden, beach, private home, hotel ballroom), season (spring, autumn, Christmas or New Year), number of guests and, most of all, budget.

One consideration for the wedding gown is the length of the train. A church wedding is great for a long train because the bride walks straight down the aisle and takes her place aside the groom at the altar without having to turn around, thus the gown will not require adjusting in the way it lies on the floor. An outdoor wedding in a garden or beach would necessitate a shorter train or no train at all, facilitating some maneuvering to take into account background and lighting for photography. An outdoor wedding also may not have a convenient staging area to begin the grand entrance like a church would in the narthex or foyer.

The cut and color of the gown will depend upon the bride's physical properties such as height and weight, hair color and skin tone. There may be some jewelry pieces such as necklace and ear rings, as well as other accessories that must be included for personal or family tradition reasons when considering the overall look the bride wants to present.

Wedding gowns are the central element of design for the overall thematic of elegant weddings and choosing one can be a joyous process for a bride with a dream wedding in mind.