Can I wear a black at my own wedding?

I am getting married for the second time & have chosen to have a very intimate and small celebration for my wedding. I don't want to wear a wedding gown, but I'm not sure what type of dress is appropriate. Are there rules about what colour of dress I can wear? Does it have to be a light coloured dress? Is black inappropriate?


Although tradition has brides wearing white (yes, it's an option for second time brides too!), because you are the bride, you really should have final say on what you'd like to wear. It really is about personal taste and preference.

In terms of particular rules regarding the colour of the dress, women have traditionally chosen white or shades of white, but it doesn't have to be that way. There are many other choices and when you look at different cultures, you can see that white does not dictate the world of weddings. Your ideal wedding dress also doesn't have to be a light colour.

Ask yourself the following questions to help make your decision a little easier:

How formal would you like your wedding to be? The more formal the event, the more formal your dress should be. If however, you're planning a more relaxed affair, then by all means, go for something more casual.

Are there any taboos in your culture (ie. including your family culture)? Does the colour black convey any particular meaning in your culture or for your family? If you're planning a more formal wedding event, then black may be a great option, but you can imagine that it would be less suitable for an afternoon casual wedding!

The only caution would be if you have any older family members that may not understand why you've chosen to wear black. You may want to let them know ahead of time so you don't hear any sudden "OH my goodness" during the wedding ceremony.