WPCNR'S THE REAL DEAL by The Wedding Jeannie. October 6, 2007: Contrary to popular belief, the tradition of the white wedding dress only began in 1840’s England during the reign of Queen Victory.  Before her wedding to Prince Albert, women wore gowns in different colors, and it was only after the Queen had been wed in white, that the trend began in full swing.  While white was always a popular color to demonstrate purity and innocence, the white wedding gown was a tradition that escaped many until Victoria set the stage with it (and in the US white only began to signify purity after WWII).  Ironically, by the late 1800’s, much was written about how a brides’ gown had always been white, furthering the myth that this had been an age old tradition.  And as with most popular trends, this was one that began only with the very wealthy.  It was difficult to keep white clean or get it clean, so only women with disposable income could justify the expensive of having a white dress that would probably never be worn again. 

$10,000 to $15,000 a dress.

Plus ce que change, plus ce que reste la meme – a famous saying indicating that the more that changes, the more remains the same – and that is certainly true of trends in wedding dresses starting with those that can afford them!  The average cost of purchasing a wedding dress in the city is roughly $4,500.  We know that for many brides, this can be representative of half their entire wedding budget.  It's difficult to justify the cost of a small car for a gown that you will wear once.  But we see brides in the tri-state area spending closer to $10,000-$15,000 on their wedding day attire frequently. 

Bridal fashion can be all over the spectrum.  Brides go strapless, go short, go ornate, go plain, and go wild.  But one thing remains consistently important: comfort.  Regardless of what your personal style is, you need to be extremely comfortable in your gown.  If you aren’t, you’re setting yourself up for a fidgety wedding day (and you don’t want that showing up in the video or pictures).

Many designers keep this in mind when creating their latest designs.  Something as simple as choosing an empire waist or a cap sleeve can add that element of comfort while reflecting your personal style.  Speaking of style, it’s usually a good idea to somewhat define what your style is.  Are you traditional and love the idea of wearing a big beautiful ball gown?  Are you a glamorous bride that wants to bring in a bit of old Hollywood into the wedding?  Are you simple and want something more dainty and casual?  These days, there aren’t many rules on wedding fashion.  The dress is a place where you can really express yourself and have some fun doing it!  But a word to the wise, don’t pick something too trendy that will leave you saying, “Now why did I pick this dress again?”

Bridesmaids' Styles Today.

And as for the dreaded bridesmaid dress!  The days of poofy sleeves and super matchy-match dresses are over.  The trend for the last several years for bridesmaids is the idea of the ‘re-wear’.  Obviously it’s an honor to be in someone’s wedding, but it’s and even bigger honor when a bridesmaid gets to wear a dress that she loves and that she wants to wear again!  Over the years, some designers have really perfected it! 

For example, Ariane Goldman Finkel owner of Twobirds Bridesmaid came up with a bridesmaid dress that can be worn ten different ways.  With this concept, Ariane “marries the bride’s vision with the bridesmaid’s happiness.”  There are other companies that will have similar options.  Amsale’s bridesmaid division allows the bride to choose a fabric and then gives bridesmaids the freedom to choose the design of the dress (with the bride’s approval, of course!)  The hope is that in the end, everyone is happy and feels good in the dress!

Grooming the Groom

Last but certainly not least, the groom’s attire.  Often the male formalwear is forgotten about until the last minute.  It’s clearly an easier task to cross off your list than getting wedding dress but it shouldn’t be overlooked!  Most people think of the traditional black tux when it comes to the groom and groomsmen. 

But more and more, we find that people are going in the suit direction- even for really nice affairs.  When there’s a tie involved, it gives the men a chance to play with color a bit more and it turns into a great gift for the groomsmen. 

But for true black tie affairs, I do still see the traditional tuxedo.  What’s interesting is that more and more grooms are going in the direction of buying a tuxedo rather than renting.  If you have access to a good outlet and don’t mind a day of shopping, grooms can often find amazing deals.  And unlike a wedding dress, you can wear your tux over and over again! 

Setting the Dress Code

The most common question that we get about wedding attire is how to let people know it’s a formal event.  For the record, according to proper etiquette, in the same vein that you would not tell your guests what to wear to a dinner at your home, you are not allowed to instruct guests who to dress at your wedding.  But that caveat generally falls on deaf ears!  So how do you tell people that you want them in tuxes – our favorite is a small note saying “black tie invited” at the bottom right hand corner of the invitation.  It’s a bit less harsh than just “black tie” and certainly more direction than nothing at all. 

Whatever you do, the attire that the bride and groom select for the wedding sets the basic tone of the event, so remember that in your selection process and use it to your advantage in setting the stage for a magnificent day.  Attire is part of the décor (next week’s topic) and if you have 6 women running around in the same dress, that’s a color scheme and should be included in the design of the day! 

Note: Got a question or a comment for the Wedding Jeannie? Ms. Uyanik will answer your questions. Simply e-mail her at weddinggenie@candgweddings.com