Ceremonial Clothing in Western Cultures - Marriage

Marriage

A man marrying is a groom. In the US, he typically wears a suit, or other formal wear, such as morning dress, white tie, evening wear (a "tuxedo"), or kilt with a jacket of equivalent formality. A woman marrying is a bride and most often wears a wedding dress or wedding gown.

For a first-time bride, the dress is usually white. Women marrying for the second (or third, or fourth) time are supposed to forgo the elaborate white gown and wear an off-white or other colored dress or ensemble. Women other than the bride are not supposed to wear white or black to a wedding, as white is reserved for the bride, and black for funerals.

There is some dispute as to whether the white dress is a claim to virginity, or lack of sexual experience, or simply to modesty and purity. Some people would claim that a non-virgin should not wear a white gown (thus leading to malicious gossip regarding a bride's presumption in wearing white). Others say that it simply means "first marriage" and can be worn by any woman, even if she has been co-habiting with her fiancé(e) for years. This latter view is increasingly the norm, and in line with modern etiquette.

The archetypal wedding gown is cut like a balldress, with a wide skirt, tight waist, and decolletage. If the skirt is cut closer to the body, it may still have a trailing train, often carried by a child trainbearer. The dress is accessorized with a lace veil, often anchored by a tiara and a bouquet of flowers, often encased in an elaborate bouquet-holder. Brides' gowns may be long and more formal than the dress of the rest of the wedding party, regardless of the style of wedding or time of day.

Brides customarily wear, in the words of an old jingle:

Something old and something new,

Something borrowed and something blue,

and in the British version, a last verse:

and a lucky sixpence in her shoe.

Because wedding apparel is often quite expensive, most brides find no difficulty in mixing old and new. A new dress will be crowned with a family heirloom veil, an old dress with new earrings, etc. The borrowed item is often a handkerchief; the blue item is often a garter. The garter is a decorated band of elastic once used to hold up long stockings. Garters are no longer used to hold up stockings, but survive in many weddings as an item that the groom removes during the reception and throws to the single men, though this custom is falling out of favor.

The elaborate and expensive white wedding dress is an innovation of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is increasingly a component of wedding ceremonies in all parts of the world, often in parallel with non-Western costumes and customs. For example, Japanese brides may now dress several times, in the traditional Japanese wedding costumes, then appear again in a Western wedding gown.