Afrocentric Style

Wedding gown styles have varied through the centuries. From the cotehardle, a close fitting dress that laced up the back or front, of the 1300's to the lavishly designed gowns that royalty favored in the 1500's. Not until Queen Victoria married in the late 1800's did the white wedding gown make a strong statement.
The gown was for sure the dream dress of that era. One of a kind lace created from an antique pattern. This dress also was used as a marketing tool. The heavy satin was woven in Spitalfields and lace in a Devon village. It kept hundreds employed, promoted the textile industry, and established the white wedding gown as the standard.
But African women have always favored color. Massai women are draped in their finest jewelry of handmade necklaces and earrings. These pieces are bright and festive. A Moroccan bride wears an elaborately embroidered white robe. Her hands and feet have henna applied, a reddish brown color in an intricate pattern. In Ghana, Kente cloth is the primary woven fabric. It's repeated motif of liberation colors of red, gold, and green are an important feature to this popular textile.

Consider color as a way to express yourself. I've created dresses from gold to red. Each bride wanted to say something different. You may just want a touch of color in your gown say in trim or beading. You can make a powerful statement just by expressing yourself colorfully.