Why is white the preferred bridal color?

Before white dresses became the trend for bridal ceremonies, red was the common color used by royal brides. European and American brides also wore blue, yellow and other colors like gray and brown. This all changed in 1840 when Queen Victoria wore a white dress as she married Prince Albert. Additionally, Queen Victoria demanded that only her bridesmaids wear white that day.

Her choice to wear white at her wedding was widely reported in newspapers and magazines generating a snowball effect that started to influence the wedding traditions in the western world. Soon after her wedding, European and American elites started following the trend and white dresses became a symbol of wealth and social status. Through time, wearing a white dress in bridal ceremonies turned into a tradition, and the white gown became not only a symbol of status but also that of purity and innocence.