Monday, April 14, 2008

What Not To Wear

So Mark and I went to a wedding this weekend of a very close friend. We have known him for years but we had not yet met his bride at the point of their nuptials. As any smitten man should be, he sang her beautiful praises to us prior, so we were very excited to meet her. Weird as I am though, I thought that it would be kinda cool to have my first sight of her as she was walking down the aisle to her groom.
The quagmire begins here, because in my mind's eye, she was wearing a long, flowing WHITE gown (or pink, or yellow or blue...or some variation of all of that would have met my expectations smashingly). So imagine my surprise when our girl comes sashaying down the aisle in a long, but not really flowing, BLACK wedding gown. Yes. You read that correctly.
This is not her, but this is pretty close to what I saw:

Am I a fuddy-duddy? Because I have to say, I am all about expressing yourself and letting your own fashion sense be seen. But...well...it was BLACK y'all. She was getting married in this.
I know, I know...white wedding dresses only came on the scene less than a century ago, and blue and black were the predominant colors during those times because "your marryin' dress was likely to be your buryin' dress" since people didn't have alot of money to buy a fancy-schmancy dress to only wear once. I KNOW THAT.
I also know on the other end of the spectrum that black is the up-and-coming thing in the old Pari bridal shows....but that's PARIS people. We live in Small Town, U.S. of A. Where people think that's just weird.
I guess black just seems so...I don't know...Morticia Addams or something.
Whatever.
I will say this, she was a very beautiful girl who seemed perfectly suited to our dear friend. You could tell that they were both deliriously in love and no mere gown could shake that.
Anyhoo, I am going to move on with my life now, but I have to know, bloggy friends....whaddya think? Would you ever wear a black bridal gown? Would you be shocked the way I was, or am I becoming a prude while using my Oil of Olay? Give it to me, I can take it.

21 comments:

Caroline said...

Oh my.

I have never heard of such a thing!

What is a bride in black trying to say?

Duckygirl said...

Didn't the color of the dress used to symbolize something?? Like purity or innocence? I'm hoping that if she is the type to chose a black dress than it's purely for fashion not any type of symbolism! Talk about the complete other end of the spectrum!

~Laura

Katie said...

I think in this age of 'anything goes' we should all be greatful she was wearing a dress at all! lol

Cindy-Still His Girl said...

My mother-in-law would talk about nothing else for the next six months if she saw such a thing. She about had a heart attack when my sil had black for the bridesmaids' dresses. "BLACK? At a wedding? Black? At a WEDDING? BLACK?!?!"

And so just to spite her, I'd probably go on and on about how classy it was or something. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm sure she was just making sure 1. she'd be remembered 2. or talked about or 3. cause a sensation 4. or shock people or 5. she'd make someone mad, most likely her mom or mother in law.
Some people just love drama and attention...
Me, I liked having that white dress. It stood for something. But I'm a goody-goody that way.

Gayle said...

That's just plain weird. I would have probably done a double take if I saw that coming at me.

Anonymous said...

I just have to wonder Is she from the South??? I can see ivory if you truly feel guilty wearing white, BUT Black??? Wow.
Well, I hope they have a long and happy marriage.
Kent

Halfmoon Girl said...

Well, we all know a dress will not make their marriage, but BLACK seem wouldn't be a color I would choose myself (ok, maybe I would have for my first marriage if I could have fortold the future- just kidding). She's gutsy, so if she approaches her marriage with the same guts, that would be a good thing!

wendy's world said...

Seriously? Was your chin on the floor when she walked by? TRADITION! Give me white!

Leanne said...

I'm traditional. My gown was darker ivory. It's hanging in my closet, almost 15 years old, and since there are no doors on my closet, it's staring me in the face!!

BLACK? Now that's a color I've only seen at one wedding I've ever been to. I was in my dear friend's wedding a year after I got married, and I wore a black velvet dress. High waisted. I was 4 months pregnant!

She is probably someone who always likes to make a splash and isn't inside the box, you know what I mean??

I'm traditional, so it would have shocked me too.

Leanne in Longview

Anonymous said...

Hi Gayle,
The black dress just doesn't even register with my oh-so traditional, Southern brain.

We're in MS this week, but Yahoo isn't cooperating. I wrote you on my AOL acct.

((hugs))

Andrea said...

Oh my GOSH that is redonkculous!
I'm not even sure if you should be her friend??? ;-)
Hey...I changed my blog address and I think when I sent you the new one it came back. I need your new email. For some reason it is not in my address book...Can you email me?

Growin' with it said...

Thanks for stopping by my spot! I have to admit and be honest...I've lurked on your's for awhile now. Let me just say that you sound like a kindred spirit already with that coffee creamer post!!!

AS for the black dress...never seen one at a wedding myself and never hope to! People no doubt have the right to their own taste, but this one just seems strangely NOT my cup of tea!

Nice to meet ya!
~Linda

Anonymous said...

(snort!)

One question. Was the groom as surprised as you were to see his Beloved in Black?

'Cause, I'm not gonna' lie. Red flags? (Or maybe black flags?)

Then again, if we wore the color of our heart, who wouldn't be in black?

I'm just sayin'....

GREAT post!

Cindy Swanson said...

I'm old-fashioned, Gayle, and I guess I'm just partial to the traditional wedding. I would be appalled at seeing a bride in a black wedding gown. It was hard enough for me to get used to bridesmaids in black. I'm with you on this one!

Unknown said...

Hi Gayle,
I found your blog through...well, I'm not really sure. But I had to comment on this because I just recently got married (well, 9 months ago) but you would be amazing how many "colored" dresses there were in stores. Now my dress was the traditional "Diamond White", but black...seriously BLACK?!?!?!?!?! Was the girl in mourning????

Anonymous said...

oh yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!
julie

Stacey said...

Coffee Mom pretty much sums it up, she's too much! But Gayle, no, I don't think you're a prude. My thinking is that there's meaning behind the white gown and to take that away is just slowly eroding one more bit of tradition...eventually we will have none. It's not earth shattering, but it's very sad. xo

2nd Cup of Coffee said...

It all seems OK until I think, "What if my daughter wanted to wear black at her wedding?" and then I screech to a halt. Mom reflex. Thanks for you comment at my blog today. I'm so glad to meet you.

Anonymous said...

I think it doesn't matter the color - we are the ones who have given color "meaning" - in Bible time - they didn't wear a white wedding gown - did they? - I don't know...if I'm wrong - please tell me...

If I had to do it over - which PTL - I don't - I'd wear IVORY this time - just because I look better in it - Charity

Meliss said...

No way!!!! ...that do beat all!