Eggshell Pastel

Eggshell Pastel

The Wedding Dress – It doesn't matter if it's Black or White!

From the time you were a young girl, you probably imagined having a white wedding dress much like your mother's while you looked at her wedding pictures for the hundred and fifteenth time. Years later, it is time to choose which white dress is ideal for your special day. You visit one bridal shop after another and browse a sea of white, eggshell, ivory and ecru wedding dresses. To your dismay they all start to look alike while to your shock you dare contemplate other colors! Do you betray your little girl dreams of the perfect white dress? Do you abandon years of fantasizing about the pure and wholesome image that your white dress represents on your long awaited wedding day? Would a unsual color wedding dress portray you in unappealing light?

It actually is of surprise that the usage of the white wedding dress derives more from misconception rather than tradition. In 1840 Queen Victoria of England wore a white wedding dress when she married Prince Albert. This is where the popularity of the white wedding dress largely stems from. It was quite uncommon for brides to wear white prior to this time. Before the Victorian time, brides were usually married in differing colors such as blue which was the actual color symbolizing to purity.

Now, there are many reasons that brides may seek alternative colors for her wedding dress. With greater choices in dress designs, the melding of many cultures and progressive attitudes toward marriage, brides are venturing out in unparalleled directions. Here are some things to consider when deciding on the perfect color for your wedding dress.

Culture
White is not often chosen in the East as it is often symbolic of death. In China red is thought of as good luck and in India red embodies purity. In some Islamic nations, the color green represents the Muslim faith and is frequently used in the holy wedding ceremony. For bicultural brides, it is often a fusion of traditional and non-traditional colors that gives the perfect balance to their wedding day.

Location
Wherever you marry can make an impression on the color you choose. A daytime destination wedding versus an indoor evening wedding can have an influence on the color you choose. Destination weddings tend to have shades of light colors and accents especially when outdoors. Indoor and nighttime weddings tend to use bolder colors.

Time of Year
A spring wedding may look best with colors in the pastel range whereas a winter wedding may make healthier use of darker colors.

Wedding Bouquet
The color of your bouquet should complement the color of your dress. Try to maintain a balance of color and contrast between the two.

Wedding Theme
It is much easier to choose colors when establishing a theme for your wedding. A theme does not essentially have to be rather extreme like a beach or Las Vegas wedding. Rather, it can hold a feeling or impression which may consist of pastels, forest-like, whimsical or mystical colors. This does not preclude more radical themes nor is there anything inappropriate with desiring one. Gothic weddings are gaining notoriety where blacks and reds are often highlighted.

The Bride Herself
An significant factor is you the bride. Complexion, height and weight are significant factors. A fair skin bride should steer away from colors in the yellow range. Darker complected brides should avoid darker colors. Tall brides should try to break up their height by using accessories like sashes with colored ribbon while full-figured ones should experiment with monochromatic looks.

Bridesmaid Dresses
Some brides like to stand out from their bridesmaids and others prefer them to match. In some cases the only people with color are the bridesmaids while the bride is in white. It is feasible to imagine that today's bride could choose to do the opposite. Imagine yourself in a light pastel blue dress with your bridesmaids in white dresses with light blue sashes!

First Time Wedding vs Non
Many first time brides are committed in wearing some shade of white which is absolutely fine. If it is not your first wedding, then you probably feel that you have been there and done that. Why not try out something new?

Bridal Accessories
Bridal accessories have become quite in style lately. Both Chelsea Clinton and Khloe Kardashian stylishly wore sashes as focal points of their dresses. The sash can bring lavishness and vivacity to a modest or minimal dress. It also virtually gives unlimited choices in color and trim without the need to be sized. Silk flower bridal headpieces and headbands can also create a splash of color and are unlimited in color and trim.

Color Trends
The color trend we see bridal dresses moving toward is inside the pastel pallet. This is not be mistaken with bold color pastels but rather very subtle ones. Some colors to consider are light pink, sage green, light blue and blushes.

The choices are unlimited and the pursuit for the perfect look is challenging but do not fret about differentiating yourself! Just because your dress may be a uncommon color does not have any bearing on how decent or genuine you may be perceived. What ultimately matters is which color makes you happiest on the day you have dreamed of for so long. So get out there, venture to be different and try something new! You never know, your own future little girl may end up dreaming of wearing light blue after looking at your wedding album for the hundred and fifteenth time!

 

About the Author

About the author
Hooman Moayyed is Director of Marketing at Ossai Bridal Accessories.  Ossai creates bridal accessories which are sold in bridal boutiques worldwide.  Since 2008, they have created custom pieces for hundred of brides.  For more information on their bridal accessories, please visit http://www.ossaibridalaccessories.com.

Republication may only be done with consent of author by email at hooman@ossai.com. Copyright 2010 Ossai, Inc.

 

Is poetry supposed to be like 'literature concentrate'...a short story in a box?

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SERVED MAN
by Richard B.

Charcoal grey and slate tonight,
it's Friday, after all,
a white corsage,
black bowtie...
"Eggshell shirt, or
one of the pastels,
like the poet?" he
asks himself.

That whole thing
about the shoes making
the man...he doesn't know,
'Slip-ons' sounds
so much better
than 'loafers.'

Ready for an evening out,
anxious
to be served...he plans carefully,
the wine,
the fish,
hors d'oeuvres, who
to smile at, who
to ignore.

*
*
Sometimes I wax poetic and it's taken literally and sometimes it's the other way around.

This piece is deeply metaphorical. this type brings about the mood of long dark winter nights.
I prefer simply-worded heavy metaphor :
"The cow’s been fed
knocked in the head
and now the butcher has beef.
But farmer Fred and trucker Ned
haven’t got cash for a steak.
So chicken pluck
and shooter’s luck,
squirrel and rabbit to boil,
Fear not my friends, it soon will end
when Arabia runs out of oil."

Or a simple metaphor elegantly penned:

"What of that girl, Marguerite
She moves in and out, so discrete
Some try to charm her
Others alarm her
One waits alone at her feet..." <-- this piece IS a beauty!

Cutting eggs - Bumble Bee X Pastel