Editing Bride (section)

==Attire==
[[File:Des moines wedding photographers photos 1.jpg|left|thumb|In the early 20th century, sometimes even later as here in 1926, it was not uncommon to see a bride wearing a darker-colored dress.|256x256px]]
[[File:1929wedding.jpg|thumb|upright|The woman to the far right is wearing a typical wedding dress from 1929. Up until the late 1930s, wedding dresses reflected the styles of the day. From that time onward, wedding dresses have been based on Victorian ballgowns.]]
In [[Europe]] and [[North America]], the typical attire for a bride is a formal dress, and a [[veil]]. Usually, in the "[[white wedding]]" model, the bride's dress is bought specifically for the [[wedding]], and is not in a style that could be worn for any subsequent events. Previously, until at least the middle of the 19th century, the bride generally wore her best dress, whatever color it was, or if the bride was well-off, she ordered a new dress in her [[favorite color]] and expected to wear it again.<ref name=Monger>{{cite book |first=George |last=Monger |title=Marriage customs of the world: from henna to honeymoons |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, Calif |year=2004 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/marriagecustomso0000mong/page/107 107–108] |isbn=1-57607-987-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/marriagecustomso0000mong/page/107 }}</ref>

For first marriages in Western countries, a white [[wedding dress]] is usually worn,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=Dec 2, 2018 |title=5 special occasions when you should wear white |url=https://www.deseret.com/2018/12/2/20794441/5-special-occasions-when-you-should-wear-white |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202135813/https://www.deseret.com/2018/12/2/20794441/5-special-occasions-when-you-should-wear-white |archive-date=Dec 2, 2022 |website=Deseret News}}</ref> a tradition started by [[Queen Victoria]], who wore a [[Wedding dress of Queen Victoria|white court dress]] for her wedding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Do Brides Wear White? |url=https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-brides-wear-white |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906175716/https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-brides-wear-white |archive-date=Sep 6, 2021 |access-date=Sep 7, 2021 |website=Britannica}}</ref> Through the earlier parts of the 20th century, Western etiquette prescribed that a white dress should not be worn for subsequent marriages, since the wearing of white was mistakenly regarded by some as an ancient symbol of [[virgin]]ity, despite the fact that wearing white is a fairly recent development in wedding traditions, and its origin has more to do with [[conspicuous consumption]] from an era when a white dress was luxurious, even prodigal, because of difficulties with laundering delicate clothes.<ref name="isbn1-85973-388-3">{{cite book |author1=Maura Banim |url=https://archive.org/details/throughwardrobew0000unse |title=Through the Wardrobe: Women's Relationship with Their Clothes (Dress, Body, Culture) |author2=Ali Guy |author3=Green, Eileen |publisher=Berg Publishers |year=2003 |isbn=1-85973-388-3 |location=Oxford, UK |pages=61–62 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="isbn0-393-05874-3">{{cite book |author=Martin, Judith |url=https://archive.org/details/missmannersguide00mart_1 |title=Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, Freshly Updated |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |others=Kamen, Gloria |year=2005 |isbn=0-393-05874-3 |location=New York |pages=408–411 |author-link=Judith Martin |url-access=registration}}</ref> Today, Western brides frequently wear white, cream, or ivory dresses for any number of marriages; the color of the dress is not a comment on the bride's sexual history.

Outside of Western countries, brides most commonly wear [[national dress]].  White wedding dresses are particularly uncommon in Asian traditions, because [[white]] is the color of [[mourning]] and [[death]] in those cultures. In many Asian cultures, [[red]] is usual for brides, as this colour indicates vibrance and health and has over time been associated with brides. However, in modern times other colours may be worn, or Western styles preferred. Regardless of colour in most Asian cultures bridal clothes are highly decorative, often covered with embroidery, beading or gold. In some traditions brides may wear more than one outfit; this is true, for example, in Japan,{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}} parts of India, and, archaically, in parts of the Arab world.

Particular styles of jewelry are often associated with bridal wear; for example [[wedding rings]] in most Western cultures, or [[Choora|chura]] (red and white bangles) in Punjabi [[Anand Karaj|Sikh]] culture. [[Hindu wedding|Hindu brides]] are presented with a [[mangalsutra]] during the wedding ceremony, which has much of the same significance as a wedding ring in other parts of the world.  Wedding jewelry has traditionally been used to demonstrate the value of the bride's [[dowry]].

In addition to the gown, brides often wear a [[Veil#Bridal veils|veil]] and carry a [[Flower bouquet#Wedding bouquets|bouquet]] of flowers, a small [[heirloom]] such as a [[luck]]y coin, a [[prayer book]], or other token. In Western countries, a bride may wear "[[Something old|something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue]]"; a bridal [[handbag|purse]] (or [[money bag]]) is also common.<ref>[http://www.bridesvillage.com/purses.html#history A Brief History of the Wedding Purse] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927112626/http://www.bridesvillage.com/purses.html#history |date=2010-09-27 }}, Brides' Village, retrieved 28 March 2010</ref>