Wedding DressesOver the centuries wedding dresses have changed, but a bride has always wanted her dress to be special, to make her look more beautiful. Centuries ago, only the rich could afford materials of red, purple, and true black; therefore, the wealthy brides would wear dresses of color adorned with jewels. The bride would actually glitter in the sunshine. The dress with flowing sleeves or a train was a status symbol, for the poor had to use material as sparingly as possible. Factory-made materials, with their lower costs, caused the lost of the original meaning of the train of a wedding gown, but it became a tradition over time.
Fashions changed from gowns of color to ones of white, or a variation of white, but since it wasn't a practical shade for most purposes, blue became another favorite, as did pink. In the 1800's, gray became a color for wedding gowns for brides of lower classes because the dress became re-used as the bride's Sunday best. For those who had to wear a dress that would be used for regular occasions after the wedding, many brides would decorate the dress for the special day with temporary decorations.