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Christian Weddings
AnnaLW
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Ivory wedding dress symbolizing impurity?
I live in the south, so tradition is a little thicker here than other parts of the country. I bought an ivory wedding dress for the simple fact that I thought most brides wear ivory since true white washes most people out. I am a virgin and getting married August 25, but I didn't realize this was a big deal since so many girls wear whatever, including wearing true white even if they are not a virgin. I just figured that tradition was such a big deal anymore. While I don't feel the need to flaunt that I am everywhere and act like I'm so awesome because of it, I don't want people second guessing my virginity because of my dress. I didn't think anything of it until my sister-in-law said, "I was wondering why you bought an ivory." I already bought it and don't think I have time to get a white. Plus, I love the dress. It's perfect for me. I'm just stressed and frustrated because I didn't realize this was such a big deal until after I bought it. Should I be terribly concerned?
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Re: Ivory wedding dress symbolizing impurity?
[QUOTE]I live in the south, so tradition is a little thicker here than other parts of the country. I bought an ivory wedding dress for the simple fact that I thought most brides wear ivory since true white washes most people out. I am a virgin and getting married August 25, but I didn't realize this was a big deal since so many girls wear whatever, including wearing true white even if they are not a virgin. I just figured that tradition was such a big deal anymore. While I don't feel the need to flaunt that I am everywhere and act like I'm so awesome because of it, I don't want people second guessing my virginity because of my dress. I didn't think anything of it until my sister-in-law said, "I was wondering why you bought an ivory." I already bought it and don't think I have time to get a white. Plus, I love the dress. It's perfect for me. I'm just stressed and frustrated because I didn't realize this was such a big deal until after I bought it. Should I be terribly concerned?
Posted by AnnaLW[/QUOTE]
Ivory is white. It's a shade of white. No one is going to look at you in your dress and think oh, she must have lost her virginity. I am southern, too and had an ivory dress. No one said anything to me about virginity. You are overthinking it.
My dress is in my siggy. It's ivory. Just saying.
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[QUOTE]The origin of brides wearing white had nothing to do with virginity, but wealth. Queen Victoria wore white to her wedding, and white was considered an impractical color because it got dirty so quickly, so it became synonomous with wealth. That being said, if people are questioning your virginity based on the color of your dress, then that's on them. It's none of their business anyway.
Posted by cfaszews25[/QUOTE]
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</div><div>Exactly. People are so misinformed these days, they don't even know their own traditions. Wear the ivory dress, I'm sure you'll look beautiful and feel much more yourself. If people get the wrong idea, they can get over it. Making ASSumptions just makes people look like _____. And actually, wearing a veil over your face is the traditional sign of virginity. But even then, one of my best friends, who is a conservative Christian and was def a virgin on her wedding day, did NOT wear a veil b/c she didn't want to.</div><div>
</div><div>These days, a woman should be able to set her own traditions and not get side-eyed for it.</div>
[QUOTE]The origin of brides wearing white had nothing to do with virginity, but wealth. Queen Victoria wore white to her wedding, and white was considered an impractical color because it got dirty so quickly, so it became synonomous with wealth. That being said, if people are questioning your virginity based on the color of your dress, then that's on them. It's none of their business anyway.
Posted by cfaszews25[/QUOTE]
Ditto this.. I always thought we wore white wedding dresses because of Queen Victoria not because of purity. I highly doubt anyone will question a bride's virginity no matter what color they wear.
Plus, ivory is so close to white that you can't even tell unless it's held up against something else that is stark white.
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Want to know a real symbol of bridal virginity? Wearing your hair down. It's in the book "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," which is a serious, if not textbook-like, history book. You should be able to get it from a large public library. Bust that out if you get any flak.
In Judaism, the white dress actually is for plainness. The rabbis made rules encouraging plain wedding clothes because people were having weddings that were too ostentatious and people were reluctant to marry because they couldn't put on the same show.
White dress means it's your FIRST WEDDING.
Veil over your face means you're a VIRGIN.
I wore a white dress because I got it on sale, or I may have done white with colored accents or ivory. I wasn't going to wear a veil at all, but I finally decided to. It certainly wasn't over my face, haha.
I'm in Alabama. Plenty of my friends wear ivory at their weddings.
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[QUOTE]Everyone gets this tradition wrong anyway. White dress means it's your FIRST WEDDING. Veil over your face means you're a VIRGIN. I wore a white dress because I got it on sale, or I may have done white with colored accents or ivory. I wasn't going to wear a veil at all, but I finally decided to. It certainly wasn't over my face, haha. I'm in Alabama. Plenty of my friends wear ivory at their weddings.
Posted by sessionswedding[/QUOTE]
Heh. I guess I did it wrong. I wore ivory at my wedding, and skipped the veil because I hate having things over my face or on my head. ;)
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That said, the traditional color symbolizing purity is blue, not white. It's why Mary Mother of Jesus is always portrayed wearing blue in medieval paintings.