Russian folk wedding costume. Photo of Russian folk wedding costumes. Brides from Mexico

03.05.2019

We will begin our journey to wonderful world the richest Russian culture from the national costume, because, as you know, "they are met by clothes." After all, it is by clothing that the first impression of a person is made - who they are and what he is - even in our fairly unified time. What can we say about the folk costume, which is a reflection of the soul of the people, its idea of beauty, its concentrated culture and history, accumulated and improved over many centuries.

Unfortunately, this layer of our heritage did not remain without the intervention of those who, for at least three hundred recent years consistently worked to destroy it. The Russian folk costume also got it. After Peter I returned from a tour of Western Europe(1697 to 1698), he (or rather, his double) issued a decree in 1699, in which he forbade the wearing of a folk costume for everyone except peasants, monks, priests and deacons. It is known that a fee was taken from all those entering the city in Russian clothes and a beard: 40 kopecks on foot and 2 rubles on horseback (G.P. Uspensky. “Experience in narrating Russian antiquities.” Kharkov, 1818 pp. 59-60 ). Since then, the Russian peasantry has remained the only custodian folk history, culture and idea of the Russian people about beauty.

Currently, researchers divide the whole variety of Russian folk costume (we will talk about women's costume) into two large groups. The first group - South Russian women costume or ponyovny complex- the most ancient. Its most important detail was the poneva, the great-grandmother of the modern skirt. Although this style of clothing appeared among the Slavic peoples earlier than others, but from the 14th century it began to be gradually replaced by other clothes, and by the 17th century poneva became an accessory only to the South Russian costume. Moreover, by the 19th century, even in the southern provinces, only married women wore poneva. peasant women. The pony clothes complex includes: a shirt with oblique sticks (shoulder details), a pony, an apron, a bib (could be of two types: like the long-sleeve robe we know with a clasp in front, or put on over the head, with short sleeve), forty (for women) or bandage (for girls), belt, shoes (leather or bast).

The second group is North Russian costume, or as it is also called the sundress complex, because a sundress served as its basis. From the north, the sundress gradually spread beyond the Urals and into the southern provinces of Russia. As a result, by the 18-9th century, sarafans were worn, in addition to the Northern and Central provinces of European Russia, all of Siberia and Transbaikalia, as well as merchants and poor townswomen throughout the country.

In addition, there are many features of the folk costume that characterize the costume of each province, county and even village. folk clothes differed in purpose (everyday, festive, wedding, mourning), age, family and estate status. Most often, the insignia were not so much the cut and type of clothing, but the color scheme of the material, the number and style of embroidered and woven patterns, the use different kind threads - silk, gold and silver.

Above we used beautiful watercolors Fedor Grigorievich Solntsev(1801-1892) - Russian artist, architect and historian from the serfs. In 1830 he was sent to Moscow and other places “for copying our ancient customs, attire, weapons, church and royal utensils, belongings, horse harness, etc. items". All the time he painted over 3000 high-precision sketch drawings with great detail. They depicted historical household items, icons, buildings, clothing, weapons, armor, etc. About 700 of these sketches made up the main part of the publication of a solid scientific work "Antiquities Russian state» , section "Clothes of the Russian State".

We placed part of the material on the Russian national costume in the section Vedic Symbols in Russia, which we completed with a mention of the symbolism of the wedding dress, and here we continue our story about it.

Despite the fact that in Russia wedding white dresses began to actively enter into urban fashion at the beginning of the 19th century, national wedding costumes continued to be in use among peasants, philistines and even part of the merchant class. Each province and even county had its own unique unique option wedding suits, due to the vastness of the territory of our country, historical features development of each region, the influence of neighboring cultures, etc., but the meaning and principles of its manufacture remained unchanged. The outfit of the newlyweds was decorated with rich embroidery from Vedic ornaments carrying sacred and protective meaning. On women's wedding dresses, these were female figures Goddess Makoshi, rhombuses - signs of fertility, various solar signs, the tree of life, etc., which, as a rule, were located along the edges of clothes - along the hem, collar, at the ends of sleeves, shoulders, etc. In some regions of Russia, they were used until the middle of the 20th century. Let's see what kind of wedding dresses were used by the peasants of the northern, Volga, Ural and southern regions of Russia in the late 19th - mid-20th centuries. The book by S.V. will help us with this. Gorozhanina and L.M. Zaitseva "Russian folk wedding costume". Below are the women's wedding dresses of the Vologda, Voronezh, Vyatka, Penza and Kursk provinces.

Men's wedding dresses in the Vologda, Voronezh, Vyatka, Penza and Kursk provinces of the late 19th - mid-20th centuries.

Such a costume, which crowned the headdress, which was called forty, was preserved in the Voronezh region, as a wedding dress, until the 1950s.

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Some couples want to make a traditional wedding celebration something very memorable. The option of decorating a wedding "a la russ" is quite an acceptable solution. To do this, you need to decorate the hall, and sew outfits for the bride and groom in the Russian style. Wedding dresses in Russian style old tradition sewn with a predominance of red. This color has long been considered festive and elegant in Russia.

Distinctive features of wedding dresses in folk style

The wedding dress in Russia was multi-layered and richly decorated. Shirt made of linen, silk, and later cotton fabric, served as lower clothing, and for peasants and upper. A sundress was worn over the shirt. The cut of the sundress was distinguished by its simplicity. It was sewn from straight pieces of fabric, which expanded downward due to sewn-in wedges.

A shower warmer was worn over the sundress. All items of clothing were richly decorated with embroidery. A sundress and a shower warmer were made of canvas, brocade, thick taffeta and silk, and were decorated with braid, copper buttons, silver or gold embroidery, sheathed with beads or pearls.

Modern wedding dresses "a la russ"

The modern bride does not have to adhere to strict ritual rules antiquity. It is enough to style your wedding attire in the spirit of that time.

The main thing is to be guided old ideas in which the picturesqueness and beauty of the past are laid. Embroidery made according to folk motives, floral pattern fabrics and simplicity of cut will make every bride an irresistible Russian beauty.

According to tradition, the outfit should not be too open or short. The originality of the image is emphasized by floor-length dresses, with long sleeves. At first sight modern man finishing and bright colours wedding dress "a la russ" may seem colorful and pretentious, but this should not be frightened - these are the traditions of our ancestors.

Open dresses with a flared bottom and a short bodice will ideally emphasize the dignity of the newlywed's figure, an airy translucent sleeve and a slightly open neckline emphasize the femininity and girlish tenderness of the bride.

Modern cut styles of wedding dresses with elements of the Russian style of clothes of the upper class are perfect for a bride who wants to have a more magnificent wedding dress.

And the old Russian urban wedding suit will add majesty and emphasize the bride's appearance. A similar outfit can be ordered in workshops for the manufacture of folk costumes.

It is not at all necessary to strictly adhere to the traditional canons of Russian embroidery in the decoration of the costume. To create a recognizable Russian image, you can use the motifs and colors of famous folk crafts, such as Khokhloma and Gzhel. The photo shows options for such a finish.

An ideal option for a couple who decides to opt for a Russian-style wedding, but who do not want to add additional trouble to themselves in this regard, diversify some models of wedding dresses with Russian decor details.

For example, if you add a bolero or a shawl from Provence to a Provence style dress Vologda lace, no one will have any doubts about belonging to the Russian style of a similar style.

A sensual and tender image of a Russian beauty will be created by the thinnest cape knitted by craftswomen from Orenburg.

White fur tippet warming the delicate fragile shoulders of the bride, this is so in Russian.

Accessories necessary for a wedding dress "a la russ"

Any wedding dress is necessarily complemented by jewelry. And the outfit is in Russian folk style without them is simply unthinkable.

No need to rush when choosing a wedding dress. First of all, you need to take into account your preferences, consult with family and close friends. They will most likely help right choice or suggest a solution.
Items and accessories that complement the costume should not be ignored, they add originality and unique color along.
Realizing your dream of making your wedding day unusual and memorable, you should rely more on your taste and desires.

Girl's "sad" costume Late XIX - early XX century. Tambov province, Temnikovsky district

Based on the folklore and ethnographic materials of the East Slavic peoples, modern researchers have come to the conclusion about the common ancient ideas underlying the wedding and funeral rites. So, in the pre-wedding period, the bride had to be “sad”, mourning her girlhood, and wear mourning clothes. She was reserved colors dominated by White color canvas, the iconic color of sorrow. A costume from the Temnikovsky district, made in the late 19th - early 20th centuries, belongs to the category of "sad" or "grief" costumes. Apparently, both young girls, going to the crown, and older women could wear it.

Maiden holiday costume Early 20th century Vyatka province, Vyatka district

In some places in the Vyatka province, the ninth Sunday after Easter was known as the "girl's holiday". On this day, rouged girls of marriageable age walked through the streets in their best outfits in the hope of attracting the attention of the grooms, and the grooms and their mothers looked out for future brides, meticulously assessing the wealth of their families by their clothes, in order to then send matchmakers to them.

Girls' festive costume 1910-1920s. Simbirsk province, Syzran district, with. Zhemkovka

This outfit could be worn by a girl of marriageable age and a young woman. The costume consists of a shirt, a sundress and a belt with a pocket.

Girls' wedding dress Early 20th century Novgorod province, Ustyug district

Bridal costume 1870s Vologda province, Solvychegodsk district (Veliky Ustyug region)

Bridal costume 1870-1880s Vologda province, Solvychegodsk district

Women's wedding suit Late XIX - early XX century. Vyatka province, Malmyzhsky district

The Old Believers of the so-called Fedoseevsky consent of the Vyatka province, who do not recognize the priesthood, and therefore church marriage, instead of a wedding, there was a ceremony of betrothal. After reading the prayer with lit candles, as a rule, the mother of the groom, taking the young by the hands, circled them around the table, which stood in the “red corner”, and blessed the icon. Then the newlyweds rode around the village on a wagon decorated with carpet, bells, belts, towels, thereby publicly announcing their desire to live as one family. Folk wedding ceremony Fedoseevtsev did not differ from the traditional folk Northern Russian rite. The wedding usually lasted three days, during which the couple changed their outfits several times.

Girls' festive costume Early 20th century Tambov province, Spassky district, with. Red Oakwood

In some villages of the Tambov, Ryazan, Kaluga, Penza, Tula, Oryol provinces in the 19th century. there was a rite of first putting on a poneva. Usually girls under the age of majority wore shirts tied with belts. From the moment when the girl first put on a cape, she was considered a bride, and it was already possible to marry her. The first poneva was often sewn by a sister, and put on by a brother or mother (native or godmother). TO late XIX in. this ancient custom survived only in some places, and poneva remained a sign of marriage.

Early 20th century Ryazan province, Skopinsky district

Going to the crown, mourning her carefree, free life, the bride from Biryuchensky district put on “sad” clothes, consisting of a white shirt, black sundress, apron, belt and head scarf27. The white wedding shirt was called "old woman". The name of the shirt is due to the fact that not only the bride, but also the old woman could wear it.

Girls' wedding suits Early 20th century Voronezh province, Biryuchensky district

bridal suitEarly 20th century Voronezh province, Biryuchensky district, with. Afanasievka

Upon returning from the church, before the wedding feast, the girl was dressed, and she appeared before her young husband, relatives and guests in a transformed form. Her head was crowned with a closed headdress - "magpie", decorated with gold embroidery. girl clothes- sundress - changed to "woman" - poneva.

Men's wedding suit Early XX century. Voronezh province, Biryuchensky district

Yet
In all you, darling, outfits are good
The Russian Museum presents...

Pylyaev wrote that "Catherine introduced the elegant simplicity of Russian dress at court." Everyone had to appear at the court in dresses with elements of the Russian national costume. Under Pavel Petrovich, this tradition was not respected. Alexander Pavlovich did not care who was wearing what. Everyone dressed in French fashion. More, incl.

But one day, during Patriotic War, Golitsyna, who is the "Queen of Spades", in protest appeared at the ball dressed up in Russian folk dress. They say it created a sensation. Unfortunately, no one accurately described what exactly the “mustachioed countess” was dressed up in. Sundress, dushegreya, shugay? From brocade, damask or silk? On the head is a kokoshnik or maybe a magpie? In the spring of this year, an exhibition of Russian folk costumes of the 18th-19th centuries was held in the Benois Wing “In all you, darling, outfits are good” . About 400 items of clothing and jewelry were presented, making up 50 costumes of wealthy townswomen and merchants. Thus, one could see the costumes that inspired Natalya Petrovna to create her ball gown.

Girls' holiday costume. End of the 18th century. Crown, lower, soul warmer, sundress

Sundress. Late 18th century

Sarafan - from the Persian word "sarapa", which literally means "dressed from head to toe." This name was used in Russia from the XIV to the middle of the XVII century in relation to men's clothing. In the future, the term "sarafan" was preserved only in relation to women's clothing. Antique sundresses were with sleeves or simply with wide armholes, oar, with button fasteners up to the very neck. The back of an old skew-wedge sundress was cut along with the straps, this "triangle" in the Nizhny Novgorod province was called a "frog".

Girls' holiday costume. End of the 18th century. Shirt, sundress, bandage, veil.

Women's holiday costume. Late 18th - early 19th century. Sundress, shirt, warrior, veil

The cut of the sundress: three straight panels are connected on the back, at the level of the shoulder blades, where the seams are located, into which oblique wedges are inserted - six on each side. The hem of the sundress forms an almost complete circle.

Veil. 18th century

Women's holiday costume. Late 18th - early 19th century. Sundress, shugai, kokoshnik, veil-ditch

Shugay - outerwear with long sleeves, a large collar or without it; with cut back. Shugay was festive clothes and was sewn from expensive materials: damask, velvet, brocade.

Ditch cover or ditch veil, after the name of the Syrian city of Kanavat, where silk was produced, - large scarf rectangular shape. Ditch bedspreads were expensive, from seven to forty-five rubles. In the proverb “The goal is erratic, and the veil is kanvatna,” one sounds surprised that poor people could wear this expensive thing.

Women's holiday costume. Late 18th - early 19th century. Sundress, shugay, kokoshnik, bedspread, handbag

Women's holiday costume. Late 18th - early 19th century. Sundress, shugai, kokoshnik, bedspread, purse

The costumes of wealthy townswomen and merchants were usually sewn from luxurious fabrics - silk and gold brocade, velvet, damask, silk fabric "kannelé". Even the lining of a sundress could be silk.

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Women's holiday costume. First half of the nineteenth century. Shugai, skirt, kokoshnik, scarf

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Women's holiday costume. First half of the nineteenth century. Sundress, shugay, scarf

For residents of Torzhok, the right sleeve of the shugai is noticeably longer than the left:

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Women's holiday costume. First half of the nineteenth century. Tver province. Shirt, sundress, shower warmer, headdress "Tver ukrut", scarf.

In Torzhok in 1848 up to five hundred craftswomen were engaged in embroidery of shoes and boots. Shoes intended for the townspeople were sewn from the finest colored morocco; it was also decorated with gold embroidery.

Kazan province was a major center of shoe production. Russian and Tatar masters worked in Kazan, whose products were sold at the largest fairs in Russia. Women's, children's and men's boots, shoes were sewn from colored morocco - soft, finely dressed leather. Sewing techniques “in a wheelbarrow”, a kind of leather appliqués, became widespread throughout Russia, they were also adopted by craftsmen from Torzhok.

Women's holiday costume. XIX century. Nizhny Novgorod province. Shirt, sundress, dushegreya-collection, kokshnik

Girls' holiday costume. XIX century. Nizhny Novgorod province. Headband, shirt, shower warmer, necklace

Girls' holiday costume. XIX century. Nizhny Novgorod province. Bandage, sundress, shower warmer

Women's holiday costume. XIX century. Nizhny Novgorod province. Shugay, sundress, kokoshnik, headband, scarf

Women's holiday costume. XIX century. Nizhny Novgorod province

Women's Old Believer costume. Nizhny Novgorod province. Sundress, scarf, ladder

Women from Old Believer families wore large square kerchiefs, completely covered with embroidered ornaments, in a special way - “in dissolution”, “in loose”. A strip of galloon, sewn to the middle of one of the sides, is lowered low on the forehead. Such expensive gold-embroidered scarves were not available to every woman, even from a wealthy family.

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In the Old Believer village of Chernukha, Arazamassky district, Nizhny Novgorod province, the costume was distinguished by richness and an abundance of gold embroidery. Sundresses and shirts were complemented by brocade and satin aprons. Until 1928, there was a monastery in the village of Chernukha, where hats, "magpies" and warriors, "mice" - shirt shoulders, sundresses, bibs of aprons were embroidered.

Women's Old Believer festive costume. Chernukha village, Nizhny Novgorod province. Shirt, sundress, belt, apron, magpie, breast decoration "beard", breast decoration - "viteyka".

I also note that all Orthodox Karelians also wore the “magpie” headdress.

"Beard" - a breast decoration that complements the women's festive costume of the village of Chernukha. It was a long, from seven to thirty meters, strip of metallic fringe, laid around the neck on the chest in even rows so that the top row slightly overlapped the bottom one. The fringe was supplemented with a cord - "viteyka".

"Mouse" (shirt shoulder)

Girls' Old Believer festive costume. Chernukha village, Nizhny Novgorod province. Shirt, sundress, apron, belt, "beard", headdress - "lenka" (ribbon), knitted boots.

The city of Arzamas was famous throughout Russia for its shoemakers and furriers. In the 1860s, up to ten thousand or more pairs per year were made in Arzamas, the Nikolsky Monastery and the village of Vyezdnaya Sloboda. knitted shoes. The shoe industry of Arzamas "produced and traded for millions". More than a thousand Arzamas townspeople were engaged in knitting shoes with felt inside, and this occupation was predominantly male.

Velvet shoes embroidered with gold and knitted from colored wool boots and low shoes on leather or felt sole worn to gatherings in boxes as "replacement shoes".

Women's festive costume "Damask". Second half of the nineteenth century. Chernukha village, Nizhny Novgorod province
"Damask" - outerwear, povoynik, scarf, belt, half boots

On the carnival festivities in Chernukha over festive attire they wore a “damask” (or “damask sundress”), certainly burgundy or cherry, decorated with galloon, fringe, with an oblique row of buttons and cord loops.

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Winter holiday costume. Arkhangelsk province. Fur coat, sundress, kichka, shawl

Festive clothes of the inhabitants of the North - fur coats. The collection of the Russian Museum has preserved a silk fur coat lined with cotton wool and trimmed with fur. On the chest, it is tied with ribbons for three bows. At the end of the 18th - the first half of the 19th century, the fur coat was part of the girl's wedding dress, it was fashionable clothing in the cities of the Russian North.

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Girls' holiday costume. XIX century. Vologda province. Shirt, sundress, bib, bandage, half-shawl

In Solvychegodsk district, the costume was complemented by silk scarves and shawls. Moreover, the girls often wore folded shawls on their hands, several at a time.

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Bandage suit. XIX century. Arkhangelsk province. Shirt, sundress, scarves - two silk scarves, bandage, shawl

“In Pinezhye at the end of the 19th century, the most elegant clothes and jewelry could be seen at the“ metishche ”- festivities that were held in patronal feasts. They usually lasted two or three days, and the girls changed outfits several times a day. A bride was chosen for the "methische", the groom was looked after ... "The adornment of these holidays were the girls-"bandages" - this is how girls with a brocade bandage were called in Pinezhye. They stood on the “marked spot”, not daring to move, luxuriously discharged ... a lot of bright ribbons were tied to the back of their heads to a golden armband, “pearl bindings” on their foreheads and temples. Bright red silk shawls worn on the shoulders, threading the ends under the straps of the sundress, were called "alovitsy".

The necessary attributes of the festive attire were also jewelry: silver bracelets and rings, several rows of large amber beads. The girl's neck was hung with many crosses. All their clothes could weigh about forty kilograms.

Wedding suit. XIX century. Arkhangelsk province. Girl's headdress - bandage, wedding dress"crown", width - a scarf of the bride, a shirt, a shower warmer, a sundress

One of the solemn moments of the Pinezh wedding is the rite of “gazing”, when the bride, “dressed and shining like a bird of fire”, was taken to the groom and his family. On the girl, over a golden bandage, a large flat crown still strung with pearls appeared. The bride bowed to each guest, and one of the women - the bridesmaids - supported this magnificent structure.

Wedding suit. Late 18th - early 19th century. Arkhangelsk province. Sleeves, sundress, crown, ribbons to the crown, neck decoration

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Women's holiday costume. XIX century. Vologda province. Shirt, sundress, apron, scarf, belt, headdress - collection

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Shirt - "lining". Beginning of the XX century. Vologda province

The hem of the shirt was called a camp, a stanushka, and the shirt itself with a richly decorated hem was called a hem. The collar of a women's shirt often opened the neck and shoulders wide. Sometimes a low stand tightly embraced the neck, fastened with a small button.

Shirt-mowing. XIX century. Yaroslavl province

Shirts intended for agricultural or other work were called according to the nature of these occupations - “mowing”, “fishing”. Harvesting and mowing shirts were often worn without a sundress, or its hem was raised and plugged into the belt so that the patterns on the shirt were visible.

Fishing shirt. XIX century. Yaroslavl province

On Pinega, it was to catch fish at the table women's business. Going out to fish, women dressed in long white shirts with straight sleeves - "fishermen". A sundress in this case was not supposed to.

Shirt-lining and skirt. 1880s Vologda province

In many countries, the wedding dress has retained signs national traditions. This is manifested in color, style and details that correspond to customs and religious beliefs. For example, in Turkey, a red ribbon is tied around the bride's belt, symbolizing innocence, and in Eritrea, a dark velvet crown and a purple-gold outfit are obligatory. Of course, in different regions brides are different. Let's take a look at what wedding dresses girls around the world are wearing:

Bulgarian girl in a traditional wedding dress in the Rhodope Mountains.

When a Turkish bride leaves her parents' house for the wedding ceremony, her father, brother or uncle ties a red ribbon around the girl's waist. This ribbon symbolizes innocence, brings good luck and happiness.

At a wedding in Ribnovo, Bulgaria, the bride's closest relatives paint her face white and decorate it with colorful rhinestones, then cover her face with silver threads. This custom has a long history.

In Sri Lanka, the bride's attire combines Eastern and Western traditions. Here they wear richly embroidered silk saris and veils in European fashion. Jewelry should include an odd number of stones, as odd numbers are considered auspicious.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish brides, out of modesty, wear long dresses that cover everything except the face and hands. As a rule, flowing lace skirts reach the floor.

Traditionally, brides in Tajikistan wear white dresses over trousers.

Indonesia consists of about 8000 inhabited islands and each of them has its own fashion for wedding dresses. Most often, girls dress in dresses of bright colors with heavy embroidery.

Three days before the wedding, Indonesian women can paint their nails, hands and feet with henna. They draw birds and flowers.

Pakistani brides wear deep reds, pinks and purples for the ceremony.

Indian brides choose the traditional lehenga choli dress, most often in red, and complement it with sixteen decorations from head to toe according to the canons of Solah Shringar.

In Nubia, the bride wears a colored kerchief on her head, a transparent veil on her face, and another white veil covering her head.

Traditional Eritrean wedding attire features dark velvet crowns and purple gowns embroidered in gold. The bride's attire matches the groom's.

The Tuvan national costume reflects the nomadic way of life of the people. Ceremonial clothing does not restrict movement even while riding, made of light-colored fabric and richly decorated.

On the eve of the Tibetan wedding, the groom brings the bride's wedding dress and jewelry. The outfit may include a headdress, silver coins to decorate the braids, or an amulet with a small metal Buddha statue.

For the official ceremony, the Palestinian bride wears a puffy white dress, but she must have a dress that was hand-embroidered by the bride's mother especially for the wedding.

In the Peruvian capital of Lima, brides traditionally dress in red and black dresses with layered cotton skirts and decorated hemlines.

Western fashion has seeped into Jordan, where brides wear white dresses and gold or silver jewelry. Often the bride's head is covered with a green silk cloth. The color symbolizes growth, harmony and security.

In Mali, the bride's attire is called a caftan and is the same color as the dashiki, the groom's suit. The couple most often chooses white, but sometimes there are outfits in lavender or purple.

For thousands of years, Korean brides have worn the traditional hanbok costume. It consists of a long-sleeved blouse and a high-waisted skirt in cotton or silk.

Japanese brides dress up in a snow-white kimono and wear a special silk tsunokakushi headdress, which hides the "horns of jealousy" and symbolizes her intention to become an obedient wife.

A Moroccan bride changes her outfit three times at her wedding. At the reception appears in a white caftan or dress. Her clothing reflects the characteristics of the region from which she hails.

Nigerian brides stand out with brightly colored lace blouses and patterned kaftans, which are often made from Indian fabrics. Coral beads and a headpiece complete the look.

In Chechnya, the white dress of the bride is decorated with a brooch and a belt at the waist. It should hide her entire body, emphasizing the modesty of the newlywed. The head is covered with a white scarf.

Traditional Iraqi brides set the record for the most dressing up. Each of the seven dresses is a different color of the rainbow. Red symbolizes love and romance.

Italian brides believe that green brings good luck and abundance, so they may wear a green dress or green jewelry. However, most often choose a white outfit.

Adrian Mutu, who previously played for the Italian football club Hellas Verona, and his fiance Alexandra during wedding ceremony in Bucharest, Romania.

American brides didn't always wear white. In the 19th century, girls dressed up in what they considered the best in their wardrobe, and white fabric could not be cleaned by hand, so only a rich layer could afford it.

Queen Victoria, when she married in 1840, chose a wedding dress made of white silk with lace, although before her, red was considered traditional for a wedding dress. Then women's magazines described her image as pure and immaculate, and brides around the world began to choose the white color.