Top designers such as Vera Wang have changed the wedding gown ground rules in recent years by bringing black into the bridal scene. Recently, actress Julia Roberts wore a gauzy black wedding dress for a photo shoot, sparking a debate about whether or not black is the way to go for a bride. Darker wedding dresses have definitely become trendy, but is it something you’d wear on your special day?
Black is the New White
There are some good reasons why you should opt for a black dress on your big day. For starters, it’s a fun way of doing something different and overruling conventions. If you are the type of fashionista who loves wearing black and it suits you, a black gown could feel more on par with your personality or style sense. Best of all, the dress doesn’t have to be entirely black. You could choose a grey-black item or a white dress with black lace over it. The options are endless. After the wedding, you also have a greater chance of wearing the black gown again (perhaps after a few snips and adjustments) because it is much more versatile than a white creation, which makes it sustainable.
Singer Avril Lavigne opted for a stunning Monique Lhuillier wedding dress that she felt worked with her style demands when she got married to singer Chad Kroeger last year. In an interview with ET Canada, Avril stated, ‘I really wanted to wear a black wedding dress, so I met with Monique and I didn’t want [the dress] to be crazy and puffy. I didn’t want it to wear me… I wanted it to be gothic.’
Seeing Black?
Of course, black might not always be the right choice. If your wedding is a light, summery affair, you might feel weighed down by walking the aisle in a dark shade. Or, you might want to take advantage of the one day in your life where you get to wear a puffy white gown and feel like a princess. You might feel that you can wear black any day, like when you want a sleek evening gown for a glam event, but that you don’t get to arrive in a massive white creation whenever you feel like it. Added to this, if your wedding is traditional, wearing black could pull you away from those ideals.
Sarah Jessica Parker has aired remorse about her bridal attire when she married Matthew Broderick in 1997. ‘I wore black on my wedding day, and I really regret that,’ the Sex and the City star told Marie Claire. ‘I was too embarrassed to get married in white, and both Matthew and I were reluctant to have people pay so much attention to us. Which is ridiculous, because that’s when you can relish the attention, when it’s natural. We treated it like it was a big party on a Monday night, and I regret it.’
Before You Choose Black…
When deciding if a black wedding gown is right for you or not, take into account your entire wedding’s theme or ambiance, as well as your style inspirations. Wearing black to your wedding shouldn’t be a choice made just because it’s trendy, but rather because you feel like the most beautiful and confident bride in a dark dress. Remember, those pictures are going to last forever!
