Most people think of the white wedding gown as being one of the oldest traditions in the book.  When I was looking for my wedding gown, the thought never entered my mind to step outside of the white/off-white color realm.

However, trends have emerged pointing to a more nontraditional approach to the wedding gown.  A day doesn’t go by that I don’t stumble across some sort of colored wedding dress while thumbing through a bridal magazine.  Just recently, Diva Dialogue blogger Lea shared a photo of a gray dress with me:

Contrary to what you may think, colored wedding dresses are nothing new.  As a matter of fact, white dresses didn’t become popular amongst all class levels until the late 18th century.  In the case of the gray dress, this was traditionally worn by the lower class in the 18th century.

Step back in time even further and you’ll find that traditional wedding dresses in Medieval times were rarely white when planning an extravagant wedding.  Instead, they focused on jewel tones such as ruby, sapphire and emerald, and were often worn by princesses and the upper class.  Today, these choices still exist, such as this red Fiorenza dress from Maggie Sottero:

…And another example straight off the runway in emerald green…

So you tell us!  What do you think?  Do you like the colored wedding dress trend, or do you prefer to stick to the traditional varying shades of white?

As a child, I was surrounded by beautiful artwork and creative people.  My parents love the art deco period, and collect paintings, drawings and furniture from that time in history.  My mother and aunt were also fashion designers with their own local company, allowing me to wallow in the beautiful fabrics and designs that were a part of my every day life.

Although my dream of becoming a fashion designer died with my lack of drawing skills, I still admire the work of designers, both on the runway and on paper.  I think fashion sketches can be so beautiful and take a certain talent to produce.

Enter Brooke Hagel, an amazing artist that uses photos taken of you on your wedding day to produce beautiful paintings that remind me of the fashion sketches that I so adore. I will definitely be investing in one of the pieces as a way to preserve my wedding dress in a unique and special way.  Finding an old picture of my mother or grandmother and doing the same could be even more amazing.  Visit Brooke’s Etsy store to secure your own piece of art, which could also make a fabulous holiday gift for someone special!

From top to bottom, left to right: Seaside inspired candy bar from the Knot, Stylish Stripe Wedding Invitations in Aqua, Banana Republic embossed envelope clutch, Mini cake favors from Brides, Going Nautical Drink also from Brides, Dessert Buffet Chocolate and Cream from Martha Stewart, J. Crew Silk Chiffon Juliet Dress, Amsale White Gown with French Blue Taffeta Sash, Blue bouquet ribbon from Martha Stewart