FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • BRIDAL • THE QUEENS COURIER 55
bridal
NICE DAY FOR A BRIGHT WEDDING
Bridal gowns span
the color spectrum
BY SHARON NAYLOR
Not every bride wants to
wear a white gown on her
wedding day. It has been, over
the past several years, a rising
trend for brides to choose
nonwhite wedding gowns.
According to Shane
McMurray, lead researcher
at the bridal industry statistics
company Th e Wedding
Report, here’s how the most
popular colors of wedding
gowns stack up in popularity:
• Rose/pink/mauve: 14.3 percent.
• Silver/gold/copper: 6.2 percent.
• Blush blue: 5.9 percent.
• Red: 2 percent.
• Blush yellow: 1.3 percent.
• Blush purple: 0.9 percent.
• Other shade: 4.2 percent,
which may include the
trend of watercolor-painted
gowns -- an artistic option
for the bride who is so
inclined.
Notice that those numbers
don’t add up to 100 percent, as
65 percent of brides still prefer
white gowns. But a number
of brides are choosing tan or
Champagne-colored dresses,
providing a more fl attering
dress for a bride’s skin tone
than stark white while still
appearing more traditional.
Although not recorded in
the survey, blush gray is making
news as a popular and
neutral bridal gown color, as
it allows the bride’s shade of
dress to complement bridesmaids’
gowns, which are now
oft en in shades of gray and
slate.
Bright, patterned gowns
may not have achieved widespread
popularity, but there
are always artistic brides out
there who love the idea. Florals
and other delicate motifs --
such as cherries -- adorn the
dresses of brides who really
want to depart from the traditional
white dress.
So, why have we witnessed
this trend toward colorful
and/or patterned dresses in
recent years? Th e bride’s reasons
may include the following:
• Wanting something diff erent
that’s more in tune with
her alternative preferences.
• Finding a gown that looks
more fl attering against her
skin tone than white.
• Preferring a gown for her
second (or third or fourth)
wedding that’s completely
diff erent than the white
gown she dutifully wore for
her fi rst wedding.
• Wanting to choose from
the wide array of gorgeous
gowns that today’s designers
are presenting in blush, bold
and metallic choices.
Jennette Kruszka, director
of marketing and public
relations for acclaimed gown
shop Kleinfeld Bridal, says
that each year, she sees gowns
in color in the Bridal Fashion
Week runway shows, with
blush, metallic and blush-blue
dresses leading the trend and
high in demand.
What else might be driving
the trend for wedding dresses
in color? For some brides, the
bridesmaid-dress rack delivers
less-expensive options in
fabulous styles. With lovely,
wispy fabrics and creatively
twisted, one-shoulder sleeves,
these gowns can fi t a bride’s
personal sense of style better
than the collections of white
gowns she has tried on at so
many shops. Th is expansion
of where brides can shop for
budget-friendly dresses has
played into the rise of gowns
in color.
We’re also seeing more
brides wanting to wear their
mothers’ or grandmothers’
wedding gowns as a family
homage, but the original
gowns may be faded or
stained -- something a great
alterations company can solve
by dyeing the dress a diff erent
color. Th e heirloom dress
becomes wearable once more.
And for the bride who
wants a traditional white dress
but would like to incorporate
pops of color, other alterations
are a great option: Colorful
hand-sewn beading, sequins,
crystals and appliques add a
unique touch. Accessories,
jewelry and shoes can complement
these shades for a
colorful wedding-day look.
Sharon Naylor is the
author of “Th e Bride’s Guide
to Freebies” and three dozen
additional wedding books.
(END ITAL) Courtesy Creators.com