Colors of a Wedding Dress

In America everything I see and know about a bride and her dress is the color white. Pictures, magazines, and bridal shops throughout America markets white dresses because its the traditional and most popular color choice. The relatively modern meaning of the white wedding dress in America symbolizes virginity and purity. This symbol has not always been around. In 1840 Queen Elizabeth popularized the white dress when she married Albert of Saxe and slowly it became the color of choice, especially when seen in American films.
Other countries in the world dress their brides in different colors each with different symbolism. In Africa brides chose colors and pattern's to their tribes custom. Jewish brides often wear white, which represents spiritual purity and clarity. In China brides wear the color red representing luck and boldness. In Japan brides wear white silk kimono lined in red representing happiness and a new beginning. In India brides wear silk sari made using the color of choice, red, green, gold, yellow, and white.
All over the world the color of a brides wedding dress has a symbolic meaning associated with the culture or just the women herself. I found this old American poem about brides dresses influencing her future. It folows; “Married in white, you will have chosen all right. Married in grey , you will go far away. Married in black, you will wish yourself back. Married in red, you’ll wish yourself dead. Married in blue, you will always be true. Married in pearl, you’ll live in a whirl. Married in green, ashamed to be seen, Married in yellow, ashamed of the fellow. Married in brown, you’ll live out of town. Married in pink, your spirits will sink.”