30 January 2013

weddings // pink (+ other colors) for wedding gowns

There is definitely a trend in bridal gowns in the past couple of years (and way before that, if you look to trendsetter Gwen Stefani): pink wedding dresses.  Now, some wedding blogs are calling this trend a thing of the past, but I suspect we'll be seeing more of it in 2013 and beyond, especially because of the recency of some of the sightings of pink dresses at celebrity weddings (see Anne Hathaway and Jessica Biel below).

My friend and wedding coordinator Joelle said to me that if she were to get married all over again, she'd don a pink gown.  And she's not alone.  We saw it in the celebrity world in both 2011 and 2012 with a handful of pretty high-profile weddings; actresses Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Biel wore shades of pink during their weddings to Jim Toth and Justin Timberlake, respectively (though notice they're both "JT" ... but I digress), and Anne Hathaway also rocked a hint of pink when she married Adam Shulman in September.


As I mentioned, a wedding blog or two have announced that shades of pink in wedding dresses is "so 2012," but don't trends tend to take a few months (or even years) to trickle down into full-scale fad (for lack of a better term)? 

Either way, I'm firmly rooted in the belief that there is a RIGHT way to do a pink wedding dress, and a definite WRONG way.  Essentially, the right way is to stick to soft, feminine, barely-there shades of blush pink.  Even Jessica Biel's acclaimed gown was too pink for me.  I love Reese's version -- you almost have to squint to tell whether it's pink or a warmer shade of ivory.  I didn't love the style of Anne's dress, but I think the ratio of pink in relation to the rest of the gown was tasteful -- just a sweet, subtle hint of pink that didn't overpower the look.

More examples of pulling off pink:

dresses from Samuelle Couture, Jenny Packham, + Vera Wang White Label

Now.  Unfortunately, I found FAR more examples of what I'd consider the wrong way to wear pink on your wedding day.  I think most of the pink frock missteps can be adequately summed up with just one example:

a pink faux pas, to put it lightly...

I like bows, I occasionally enjoy a well-placed rosette, and a corset lace-up can be truly lovely.  But putting them all together on the same garment with shiny, Pepto-Bismol shades of pink?  Yikes.  And just... no.

I think it's fair to say that wedding dresses in lots of different colors have been executed at both ends of the spectrum: some tasteful and lovely, some tacky and loaded with the potential for regret.  For the sake of leaving you with a positive impression of colorful wedding dresses, here are some of my favorites (and I'll leave out the ones that are a big miss).


Thoughts?  Would you ever wear a wedding dress in a color other than white or ivory?

10 comments:

  1. Ahh, I wish I could get married in that feathery pink dress hanging on the tree!

    Beautiful pictures:)

    Shubhi's Revels!

    Shubhi'sRevels! on Facebook

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  2. I think that the more subtle ones look gorgeous - I love Reese's dress and the champagne one - but I'm afraid that I'm a traditionalist when it comes to my own wedding! I'll have to wear the fun dresses to another party :)

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  3. That Vera Wang dress is actually my dream wedding dress and I would kill to have it, unfortunately I live in South Africa. Also, I would never be bale to afford it.

    And I don't care that it's pink!

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  4. I love Reese's dress! Just the right amount/shade of pink. While Jessica's dress is pretty, I don't like it as a wedding dress.

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  5. the only other color i'd wear than white/ivory would be very light pink. Reese's dress is beautiful and Anne's has the right shade. very pretty.

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  6. I'm actually not a pink lover, but I am really into that grayish/ivory color. I'm looking for just the right dress in that shade for my upcoming wedding. SO hard to find the right one!
    Trish

    www.jellybonesblog.blogspot.com

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  7. Haha thanks for the shout out, and you're so right! I would absolutely LOVE to wear a blush gown if I got married again (to the same guy, of course). There really is a right way and a wrong way to do it though, and I think you hit that wrong way spot on...that dress is a disaster! I'm so glad that blush/light pink dresses are a trend now though. They're just so beautiful :) xoxo

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  8. I'm far too traditional but I love the idea of a colored wedding dress. I've been waiting to rock that white for way too long!! :)

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  9. from the get-go i don't wanna wear WHITE. White scares me. I've band white since graduating Nursing school.
    I'm more into the warm side of Ivory/champagne. i would love to pull a Gwen Stefani, but with the shade of teal.

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  10. Great pictures! I'm going to shop in April and I have a feeling I'll go with ivory, but that pink number hanging off the tree sure is pretty... ;)

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