Traditional Italian Wedding Attire
Tradition is important to many Italian families who want to celebrate their heritage. Second-generation Italians may find traditions that they can carry into their weddings, whether the nuptials take place in Italy or somewhere else. People marrying into Italian families can gain an understanding of why their loved one made certain choices of attire that were important to him or her in the wedding plans.
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Wedding Guests
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Female wedding guests at Italian weddings traditionally have worn long, elegant dresses. The long gowns for women and formal attire for men are important because the weddings are elegant, extravagant affairs. Because most Italians are Catholic, couples typically hold their weddings at churches and begin with Mass.
Restrictions
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White or black outfits for women are typically frowned upon in traditional Italian wedding attire, although men can get away with dark suits. While Italians think black is a gloomy color for a wedding, they also think a guest dressed in white might upstage the bride. However, guests should never assume the bride is wearing white; it's a good idea to ask to make sure not to pick a dress in the color she wears.
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Religious Influence
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Italians have a reputation for dressing stylishly, and they might walk around town in skimpy outfits during the summer heat. However, Italian weddings are more conservative events, usually beginning with Mass at church. Some Italian churches do not allow women who bear their shoulders or show too much leg to enter, so it's important to dress accordingly.
Bride And Groom
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A common tradition is for the groom to put a small piece of iron in his pocket to keep away evil spirits. Another is for the bride to make a small tear in her veil, which is supposed to bring the couple luck in their married life. It is also considered bad luck for the bride to wear anything gold until she wears her wedding ring. These traditions are still practiced by some people who wish to honor their Italian heritage.
History
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Historically, Italian brides wore wedding dresses that were green, a symbol of fertility. This tradition fell out of practice when white dresses became popular to let the bride show off her wealth and ability to purchase a white dress to wear for only one day. Most but not all dresses today are white or ivory.
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References
- Photo Credit wedding shoes image by Natalia Bratslavsky from Fotolia.com
