The Meaning Behind 10 of the Most Common Wedding Traditions
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Though most western brides now search for the perfect white wedding dress, that wasn't the case until the 1840 marriage of Queen Victoria to her beloved Prince Albert. At the time, brides in Western Europe, particularly those of aristocratic background, traditionally wore saturated colours (usually red) with gold embroidery and fur to walk down the aisle. It was a delightful shock when the monarch decided to go her own way and stepped out of her carriage in a beautiful white gown, a colour that represented wealth at the time. Though less dramatic in terms of hue, the dress was designed to show that it was fit for a Queen. Made from Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, it had a train that measured over six yards long and required 12 attendants to carry down the aisle.