There are a few things in life that are just inseparable: Beyonce and Jay-Z, Ben and Jerry, chocolate and Chinese food (OK, maybe that's just me). And while most people associate weddings with the color white, recently there's been a new shade that's stepped it up: pink.
Pale pink has been a longtime fan-favorite in color schemes and bridesmaid dresses since, well, forever. More recently, it's emerged as the color of choice for bridal makeup, particularly in blushes and lipsticks. In the past several years, major designers have featured pale pink and rose colored bridal dresses. Most notably, Oscar de la Renta made waves for sending stunning blush wedding dresses down the runway this past bridal fashion week. Even last season the reigning queen of weddings, Vera Wang, floored brides everywhere by releasing an entire bridal collection … without any white.
Celebs have been embracing the trend, too, with Jessica Biel marrying Justin Timberlake in a pretty pink custom gown by Giambattista Valli. But does all of this really mean that pink is upstaging white?
Contain yourselves; white weddings aren't going out of style just yet. Or maybe ever. So when did white and weddings get hitched, anyway? White dresses weren't commonly worn until after Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. Before that, it was more common to wed in blue, or, for the nobility, metallic fabrics. And while we always think of white symbolizing chastity, white was actually a symbol of wealth, since fine white fabrics were more expensive. It wasn't until the late nineteenth century with the introduction of the department store that white wedding gowns became readily available to the masses. Today, white weddings symbolize purity, and above all else, tradition.
But pink has its perks. It's a universal symbol for love and compassion, and it's flattering on any skin tone -- given the right shade. Plus, with loads on different pink hues out there to choose from, you can be original without having to go over-the-top quirky.
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