Breaking with tradition – alternatives to the white wedding gown

Dita Von Teese in her Vivian Westwood wedding gown

No Shrinking Violet

When burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese and controversial shock-rocker Marilyn Manson announced they were tying the knot, no one was surprised to learn their wedding was less than traditional. 

Instead of wearing white, in true burlesque style, gorgeous dancer/actor/model Von Teese 

chose this  luscious, deep violet Vivian Westwood designed gown for her wedding day.

She would have been a breathtaking sight as she passed through the gothic arches of Castle Gurteen Le Poer in Kilsheelan, an Irish castle owned by a friend of the couple. 

A harp played and they wed at midnight. The wedding was officiated by  Chilean friend, underground film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Fate and destiny
One of my favourite and most beautiful non-traditional wedding gowns is this one worn by Caitlyn (below). Her wedding took place in New Zealand’s breathtaking Queenstown against a backdrop of picture perfect snow capped mountains.

As I discovered after asking her what made her choose a red wedding gown, Caitlyn had not actively sought out a non-traditional dress. Rather, she’d happened across a wedding store and, without an appointment, reluctantly decided to go in and take a wander around. “It was found by accident hidden between rows of traditional dresses” she told me. “The staff at Astra Bridal managed to squeeze me in to try it on briefly and I was hooked!!”. It was the first wedding dress Caitlyn had ever tried on so she went on to try two other more traditional ivory dresses for peace of mind, but nothing felt quite the same as her perfect red dress.

I really love Caitlyn’s story. It just goes to show that sometimes fate and destiny can step in to make decisions for you.

Pinks and purples are hugely popular non-traditional colours:

   

 Here are some other colours to consider:

  

Poinciana Red
This next red dress made for an extra special pairing with a Poinciana tree in full bloom on a beach on beautiful Hamilton Island in Australia. I just love the colour energy and synergy with the backdrop. 

Something Blue
Although Michael Buble’s bride wore a traditional white dress at their Vancouver wedding, she wore this cute little blue number for their civil ceremony in her home town of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Bewitching in Black 
Vera Wang sent shockwaves through the bridal fashion world when she sent her very black wedding dress collection down the runway at her recent fall bridal show.

Images from New York Times

Speaking to the Bee-Shyuan Chang for the New York Times, Mark Ingram, owner of the Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier in Manhattan described the collection as "... shocking and outrageous, but it was also fabulous”. See more of the collection at Fashionologie. 

With the trend for non-traditional wedding gowns growing, what colour will you wear on your wedding day?

Destination: Wedding - A guide to planning the destination wedding of your dreams is available in paperback and digital formats at Amazon (UK), Amazon (USA) and from www.destination-wedding-book.com.