I got married 15 years ago and on a very tight budget decided to purchase a second hand wedding dress which I could customise myself.
We had set the date for St Valentines Day and with red roses being the most associated symbol of the occasion, I wanted to incorporate this into the scheme. The dress was white and lacey, (it was 15 years ago and looked good at the time!) it had a vintage feel and I thought it would be great to embelish it with little silk red roses.
Keeping with our romantic theme we ordered the cake in the shape of a heart with white icing and red roses, the invitations had been sent, the flowers had been ordered, all that was left to do was sew on the roses to the dress.
I thought the idea of making my dress unique was brilliant, I was full of enthusiasum untill I mentioned my plan to family & friends, most of them were a bit shocked and I couldn't understand why.
When I asked why they had reacted in this way they then explained that a red & white colour scheme on your wedding day was a symbol of blood and bandages, which was believed to be a prediction of your married life!
I can't say I actually believed in it, but to avoid any controversy I relented and chose pink roses for the dress instead.
The trends now for wedding dresses (and superstitions) have changed so much, even in just 15 years, we still favour white and ivory as our main colour, but it's perfectly acceptable now to enhance this with a splash of something vibrant.
Red & white is no longer frowned upon and ivory and black is very popular.
On a recent visit to a wedding exhibition I watched one of the fashion shows, there were beautiful dresses in abundance, but the most memorable one which sticks in my mind was a sumptuous gown in vibrant red.
During a discussion on wedding dress trends with a group of women, one of them announced she was having her wedding dress made in white leather, while this may not be every brides cup of tea, I admire her for having what she wants and daring to be different.
All I would like to say now is, choose exactly what you want; you don't have to go with the flow and don't be afraid to be different.
This is your big day, so indulge, be flamboyant and most of all, enjoy!
Written by Donna Rogers
www.confettishower.co.uk
(Wedding Stationery)
