Wedding Dress Colours

White is certainly not the only colour, though few traditions are as synonymous with Western weddings as wearing a white gown. However, as formal etiquette loses its hold and brides become more daring, the white dress has increasing competition.

In recent seasons bridal designers have shown assorted shades and colours for wedding wear, ranging from metallic platinum and gold to soft rose and lavender to pale blue. And more and more gowns are being designed with colour in the details: everything from azure crystal beads to pink bands of satin. Even inside the world of white there is lots of variation, from warmer whites and ivories to crisp cold white, to blush, cocoa, and butterscotch.

There isn't only one shade of white either! The white flattering to most skin tones is natural white, a shade softer than stark white (the whitest white) and found only in natural fibres like silk. Ivory, a creamy, warmer white with yellow undertones is great for brides with fairer skin; and champagne, a white with pink undertones, is stunning on those with dark complexions.