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The poorest of brides wore their best church dress on their wedding day. Brides dressed in the height of current fashion, with the richest materials their families' money could buy. It was common to see them wearing bold colors and layers of furs, velvet and silk. Brides from wealthy families often wore rich colors and exclusive fabrics. Brides were therefore expected to dress in a manner that cast their families in the most favorable light and befitted their social status, for they were not representing only themselves during the ceremony. Many weddings were more a matter of politics than love, particularly among the nobility and the higher social classes. They could be a union between two families, two businesses or even two countries.
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Weddings performed during and immediately following the Middle Ages were often more than just a union between two people. Until the late 1960s wedding dresses reflected the styles of the day since then they have often been based on Victorian styles. The woman on the right is wearing a typical wedding dress from 1929. In Eastern cultures, brides often choose red to symbolize auspiciousness. Of those dresses, brides often wear veils, and often wear long white gloves with sleeveless or strapless dresses. White is a color of purity in the Christian faith and is meant to represent the bride’s, pure heart. In Western cultures and Anglo-Saxon cultural spheres, the wedding dress is most commonly white, a fashion made popular by Queen Victoria when she married in 1840. The white dress has become as much a symbol of a Christian wedding as wedding bands and diamond engagement rings, if not more. The " white wedding" in Europe and the United States, which has become mainstream worldwide, is deeply related to Christianity values. Therefore, the influence of religion is significant. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. It is well suited for more relaxed settings, and lends itself super well to a variety of themes, kind of like the A-line.A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The fit and flare is sweeter, and gives a hint of sexiness with a more comfortable fit. It is hence the right choice for a sultry wedding look, and lends itself well to black tie affairs or a very trendy wedding. When considering both options, the mermaid is generally a lot sexier, as it really clings to the curves. Its fit is more relaxed, and it hence gives some va-va-voom without being too constricting. The Fit and Flare has a more gentle transition, and gradually flares out (generally less dramatically) at the bottom. Their main difference is however that the mermaid shape is tighter through the bodice, until right above the knee. Brides often use the “mermaid” term for any fitted dress that flares at the bottom, and that is also the case for most bridal stylists. “ Fit and Flare” and “Mermaid” are generally used interchangeably in the wedding dress world.
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While the A-line skirt offers more versatility, you just can’t beat the ultimate fairy tale look of the ball gown. A ball gown dress is best suited for more formal affairs. An A-line dress can be suitable for any type of wedding from a simple backyard setting to a grand church affair. The formality of the wedding will also be a factor in choosing your silhouette. Ball gown dresses will also go with any length train but when considering necklines, a fitted bodice will always be your best choice. It can go with many different fabrics and necklines and trains of any length. When considering the two options, an A line is a bit more versatile. They generally have more volume and more pleats, and look more “royal”. Ball gown dresses, on the other hand, are fuller over all and start flaring out right at the waist line. However, the main difference between the A line and the ball gown is that the skirt of the A-line gradually flares out from the waist, giving the skirt of the dress an A shape. Both silhouettes are reminiscent of fairy tales, with their voluminous skirts. Two wedding dress silhouettes are often mixed up: the ballgown and the A-line.