More than a month later, her dress has stayed on my mind. So, I decided to try to find other bridal gowns that were culturally inspired, but still would appeal to a bride who wanted a fairly traditional dress. Also, one of the easiest ways to incorporate your heritage into your wedding day is through your dress and accessories.
I adore the designs from Culture Shock, an Australian company which “creates totally original and made-to-measure wedding gowns, inspired by the diverse fabrics, textures, colours and traditions from different cultures around the world.” The styles are really minimal, but the fabric accents make these dresses truly unique. It’s so simple, but I never would have thought of it. Basically, all you have to do is find some fabric that represents your culture, add some of it to your dress and, viola, a beautiful, culturally inspired wedding dress custom-made for you and your wedding.
Adele Wechsler, working with Zulu artisans who produced the beading, created a collection inspired by Africa called Hello Africa. The dresses also have African names.
Here is Nomsa (Faith) whose beading link the natural elements and represent the connectedness to the earth and soul.
And here is Ebele (Kindness). The circular medallion represents the circle of life.
Here are a couple of gowns from Tekay Designs that have a distinctly African feel, despite their traditional silhouettes.
If you’re looking to represent your Celtic roots, these options from Lindsay Fleming are perfect for you. The Celtic knots are subtle, but still give a nod to your heritage. The second dress has a cover-up with intricate gold Celtic embroidery along the edge that could go over almost any dress to give a Celtic touch to your wedding day.
If your family has a tartan, then consider incorporating it into your wedding gown. These dresses from Tartan Spirit by Joyce Young have touches (or, perhaps, a little more than a touch) of tartan. Just make sure to do a little research and check to see that you like your family’s tartan before you order your dress.
This dress, also from Tartan Spirit by Joyce Young, has a hint of the tartan over the shoulder, but otherwise is a fairly traditional (although in an interesting fabric) white wedding dress.
Therez Fleetwood designed these dresses. The dress on the left seems more African-inspired, but it could possibly have more of an Asian feeling if the accent fabric was red. The dress on the right is an all white option for a bride looking for an Indian-inspired gown.
According to a couple of websites I found while searching for culturally inspired wedding gowns, black is the traditional wedding dress color for Spanish brides. Here are a few options if you decide to go black.
This Art Couture dress could totally be worn again after your wedding day. I love the black on black stripes.
Cymbeline debuted this black wedding dress in 2008 and had people talking about the return of the black wedding dress (which would imply that black wedding gowns had been in fashion at one time, and not just in Spain).
This year designer Juan Duyos sent this black wedding dress down the runway.
If you’re not brave enough to wear all black on your wedding day, he also has a bunch of dresses with just a hint of black. Or you can add a little more black for a truly striking wedding dress.
I love this one is by Cymbeline.
And, to tie it all together (well, not quite, but still), this Scottish bride wore a black and white dress to her wedding. Perhaps she has some Spanish heritage, or maybe she just fell in love with the gorgeous dress (I know I did when I saw it).
And, finally, if you don’t want to give up the dream of a pure white frock, you can take a page from Elizabeth Hurley’s wedding(s) to Arun Nayar and wear two (or more) dresses. She wore a frothy white concoction for her British wedding and then donned a number of saris (and other Indian attire) during her week-long Indian wedding.
What do you think about incorporating your heritage into your wedding dress? Would you do it?
Happily Ever After,
