Until the 1900s few brides bought a special wedding dress and instead would wear their best outfit. Green was always avoided, as it was thought to be unlucky! White symbolised purity and was thought to ward off evil spirits, which made it a favourite for brides. White wedding dresses were made popular by Queen Victoria, who broke the tradition of royals marrying in silver. The best known traditions regarding the wedding dress are that the bride should never make her own dress and that the groom should not see the bride in her wedding dress before she arrives at the ceremony - both of which are considered to be unlucky. It is also believed that the bride should not try on her entire outfit before the wedding day and that she should leave a final stitch on the dress undone until it is time to leave for the wedding ceremony. This was because it was felt dangerous for the bride to 'count her chickens'. For the same reason, wedding linen was marked with the bride's maiden initials rather than her married initials. The Veil Although the wedding veil became popular in Britain in the 1800s its origin is unclear. It is thought that it predates the wedding dress by centuries, probably going back to Roman times when it was believed that brides were particularly vulnerable to evil spirits. Therefore, it was thought that by wearing a veil the bride could conceal her identity and protect herself from these evil spirits until she was safely wed. Other explanations are either that the veil is a relic of the days when a groom would throw a blanket over the head of the woman of his choice when he captured her and carted her off or that, during the times of arranged marriages, the bride's face was covered until the groom was committed to her at the ceremony - so it would be too late for him to run off if he didn't like the look of her! These origins have all evolved into the tradition that the veil covers the bride's face throughout the ceremony until the minister pronounces the couple man and wife - although today, the veil is often lifted by the bride's father when the bride arrives at the altar. Married in white, you have chosen right Married in blue, your love will always be true Married in pearl, you will live in a whirl Married in brown, you will live in town Married in red, you will wish yourself dead Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow Married in green, ashamed to be seen Married in pink, your spirit will sink Married in grey, you will go far away Married in black, you will wish yourself back Weddings Index Main Index Click here to Bookmark this site!