“Beautiful dream. The symbolism of Red. Boldly romantic, charming, protective, grand, seductive, sexy. From dahlia to scarlet, crimson and vermilion. A celebration of love. ” said Vera Wang.

“Mei Meng” in Chinese.

Geometrical red wedding dress by Stephane Rolland.

Not all wedding dresses are cookie cutter white dresses anymore, especially if you go for the red looking ones! Adding color to your dress is way to make it standout. And go beyond a little colored embroidery here or a sash of color there.

Stéphane Rolland Spring Couture 2012

Every bride wants her special day to be one breathtaking moment after another. Of course the most important moment is the one when she steps into the view of her groom and presents herself for his adoration and excitement. What a wonderful way to ease any nervous jitters! When he sees his bride all decked out in the absolute finest, he’ll be so star struck, it will feel like the dream it is! It will truly be a moment he won’t ever forget. It will be a moment that will always make him smile.

Groom in a red tie

At many weddings, people are just as interested in the groom’s expression when he first sees his bride in her wedding dress as well as the bride herself. Capturing this moment on camera is just one of the priceless mementos of that special day. That image will capture awe, desire and powerful emotion reflected in his eyes. It’s a treasured memory he’ll carry all the days of his life. Because color is such a stimulating factor, the impact can be tremendous when the bride has chosen a wedding dress of color that matches the day and her individual womanhood.

The five traditional colors of China - black, red, blue, green, yellow

Every color of the rainbow is now at the bride’s disposal for choosing a wedding dress that matches perfectly to her coloring, personality and wedding theme. Not to mention the fact that she can truly utilize her femininity for creating an intoxicating response from her groom! A response that will carry over into everyday life once the wedding day has passed and gone. The beauty of this freedom is a lack of fear from the wrath of society that our grandmothers knew. Now the customs of yesteryear can be brought to a whole new level with color as a dominating factor. There’s no longer a need for silly rules that can put a damper on what should be a joyous occasion.

Maria Karin Couture 2011 Wedding Dress Collection

Some women still prefer taking a traditional route when it comes to planning their wedding. In that case a white dress seems to be a part of the planning that gets very little consideration because of its lack of personality in terms of color. Then there’s the sassy bride who loves to make a fashion statement and grab the undivided attention of her groom in every way that counts. No longer is a demure walk down the aisle something that society demands. Now a dramatic entrance with sexy undertones is perfectly acceptable!

Maria Karin Couture 2011 Wedding Dress Collection - Beautiful black and red strapless gown with black flower embellishment.

HOLIDAY BARBIE 2010 - New Christmas Barbie Doll

A white wedding dress was once the only choice a bride could make. That is if she wanted to remain a respected part of many social circles. Well, things have changed and the western bride enjoys a whole new world of possibilities!

HOLIDAY BARBIE 2010 - New Christmas Barbie Doll

The idea of a red wedding dress was once something that was absolutely out of the question. Imagine being a bride in the 1930s and trying to convince mom and dad that a colorful wedding dress would just fit you perfectly! There wasn’t even a minute chance of THAT happening. Let alone, the courage it would take to even utter the words! So, woe to the bride who didn’t get to openly express her true passionate love and longing for her man.

HOLIDAY BARBIE 2010 - New Christmas Barbie Doll

The color red is a clear, bold statement that publicly says, “I love my husband to be and I want the world to witness the exquisite love we share!” After all, the color red is widely known and accepted as the color of love, passion, strength and enthusiasm. It’s hard to understand why the color of love was once not an acceptable choice for a wedding dress!

by Karen Vander

Mori Lee Red Wedding Dress

The excitement of preparing for that special wedding day can be just as awesome as falling in love. There’s so much fun in deciding on everything from who will give away the bride, who will be the maid of honor and even selecting that all important wedding dress. Then there are details to remember, like color theme, guest journal and even the fashionable wedding jewelry worn by the bridal party. Every bride and groom is unique in their relationship as well as individual personalities that have connected. That’s a day of intense love, passion and hope at its height before a life together begins.


As time has progressed, the many traditions of years passed have either fallen to the wayside or evolved. For example, the “giving away” of the bride was traditionally done by the father of the bride. This custom was often for monetary gain. These days, brides are free to give that honor to mothers, sisters, brothers or friends; even their children! No longer is a daughter given away to advance a family’s social standing! Even the rule of who pays for the wedding has changed. Another tradition that’s changed is the throwing of rice. Many still choose rice (and by the way this doesn’t hurt birds as some believe) but will choose bird seed, confetti, wheat or even corn. All these elements symbolize a hope for prosperity and happiness for the wedding couple.

Expressing individuality

Expressing individuality has never been more accepted than it is today. The beauty of this is all the choices brides of yesteryear could never have even dreamed of. No more persnickety tongue clicks because the bride dared to deviate from tradition! How many women, madly in love, had to give up their hearts’ desires for their perfect wedding day because of ridiculous rules? So what is wrong with a bride’s desire to prepare herself and her man for the coveted wedding night? Perhaps a red wedding dress is her preferred choice for attracting the sole attention she deserves on her special day!

Expressing passion and love

A wedding day is for expressing passion and love. The color red has long been associated with both. This intense color has meaning that extends to power (as in power of love) longing, desire and vigor. A red wedding dress is a wonderful way to express the pure excitement generated by all these awesome characteristics. There’s nothing like creating a visual memory the groom will never forget. Men are about visual stimulation and a wedding dress that stays in his mind for the rest of his life will have more impact when the color of love is dominate! Talk about creating an even more intense attraction with red being used in stark contrast to a bride’s soft, creamy skin!

Knives and scissors as a wedding gift? Many cultures believe by giving a sharp object as a gift, you want to sever the relationship. A knife as a gift from a lover means that the love will soon end. If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken. A knife is a sharp item obviously and it may hurt others. Unless you know the person is into hunting and requires a good machete or a master chef salivating over the next luxury cutlery set, it is not a very good choice. It does not show your warm greetings to the recipient.

Sever the friendship

It may be old wives tales, but its a belief deeply rooted in many cultures. It is best to avoid it as there are many are thousands of other things you can gift. When giving as a gift, please be considerate of the recipient’s culture. Do not pass it off as silly superstitution and they should get over it. The recipient will likely always give you the benefit of the doubt that you did not know. It is a multi-cultural world melting pot and it is very easy not to know all the gotchas and no-no when it comes to proper etiquette. When giving it a gift, it is not really about how the gifter feels about the gift. Its all about the receiver. The receiver should not have to adjust her or his behavior to respond to the giver’s gift. Instead, the giver should anticipate and tailor the gift in a thoughtful way to the receiver. To pass off this superstitution as being silly, you are simply saying their culture is irrelevent and should assimilate.

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PS If you intend to gift a knife or scissor, attach a penny with a note to send back the penny to the giver.