What You Need to Know About Gothic Wedding Dresses

Picking a wedding dress is an essential part of a bride’s big day. While many only look for white dresses, gothic wedding dresses are becoming more popular. However, brides should know all about them before wearing one on their big day.

What Makes A Dress Gothic?

When you think about a gothic wedding dress, you probably imagine a black dress. While it can be just that, it doesn’t have to be. There’s no checklist you have to complete to ensure your dress is gothic. 

It’s more of an expressive aesthetic than a specific color. Dresses of all colors and styles can be gothic since it’s alternative and ever-evolving. It’s about dark, mysterious themes influencing styles to make them more dramatic. 

Typically, dresses are gothic if they’re dark, romantic and dramatic. They take inspiration from victorian clothes, so people often incorporate ruffles or lace. Although this style is what many recognize as gothic, simple dresses also count. 

For example, you could wear a green velvet dress as your wedding dress and say it’s gothic. It’s an aesthetic that broadly applies to fashion, so brides have wiggle room when choosing a dress.

What Colors are Considered Gothic?

While black is one of the most recognizable choices for gothic wedding dresses, they can be many different colors. Brides can pick whatever color they want as long as the color is dark. Since it’s all about being moody, it’s important to have darker colors. This being said, there are no rules on how dark or vibrant the colors must be. 

Brides can also mix black with other colors or wear a solid color. Red, blue, green and purple are popular colors for gothic dresses. If brides wear a lighter shade, it’s common to see it mixed with black to emphasize the drama of a dark color. 

What Does a Gothic Wedding Dress Look Like?

No one holds gothic dresses to a standard. Some styles are immediately noticeable as gothic, but that doesn’t mean your dress has to look that way. There aren’t strict requirements, but it should match the aesthetic. Gothic dresses are dark in color, but the bride can choose the material, style and length. No matter the style, they’re usually very dramatic and ethereal. 

Since it’s more about matching an aesthetic, it opens up many choices. Traditional wedding dresses are long and white. Even though gothic dresses use dark colors, you can choose any conventional or nonconventional style. 

That being said, unconventional styles are becoming more popular. Short dresses aren’t the standard, but they’re becoming popular in outdoor and destination weddings. You might enjoy pairing dark colors with a unique style. After all, you can wear whatever you want on your day. 

Why Do Brides Wear Gothic Wedding Dresses?

There are many reasons brides wear gothic wedding dresses. It appeals to many because they can choose from a broad range of styles and colors to find their perfect dress. Beyond that, the dresses can bring particular benefits.

1. Self-Expression

A gothic dress is a form of self-expression. Wearing one is a fun way to show off your style to your guests. Further than that, it gives you an outlet for your creativity and emotions. Having a way to express your feelings puts your mind at ease and is healthy for your body. Since it takes a lot to plan your big day, it helps to be mindful of your emotions and health. 

2. Uniqueness

Every wedding is unique, but a white dress is something that many women have in common. Even though some dresses are off-white or slightly tinted, they’re not much different from each other. Gothic wedding dresses give brides a chance to stand apart from other weddings. 

Their deep colors are the opposite of traditional white. Unconventional dresses stand out to guests and in pictures. It lets brides play into their unique style. Plus, they don’t have to worry if anyone shows up in a white dress.

3. Affordability

There’s no sugarcoating how expensive weddings can be. Almost everything related to weddings has gone up in price because of inflation. Since people almost exclusively wear white dresses to weddings, they’re affected by the raised price.

It can be hard to find a white dress that fits your budget. Gothic dresses, however, can be much easier to find. Since they come in many colors and styles, you don’t have to shop at a wedding boutique to find your dress. Many stores sell gorgeous dresses in dark colors. Since you can shop anywhere for it, it’ll likely be much more affordable than a white dress.

4. Functionality

Wedding dresses are stunning but don’t often get worn after the big day. People have associated white with weddings for long enough that they’re inseparable. Unless they’re super simple, you typically don’t see many white dresses made for everyday wear. 

A benefit of gothic dresses is how easy they are to re-wear. It can be relaxing knowing you’re shopping for a dress you’ll wear more than once. White dresses don’t have that luxury since they stand out as wedding dresses. Even if a gothic dress is super dramatic or elegant, there are still special occasions you could wear it to.

What Does it Mean to Wear a Gothic Dress?

Some people see gothic dresses as controversial because they’re so unlike the traditional style. White represents purity and innocence, so many assume deep colors mean the opposite. While it’s true that dark colors aren’t at all similar to white, it doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to. 

Some people might say that certain colors have meaning, but you won’t be speaking to your wedding guests in code by wearing black. The people you invite will only focus on celebrating your big day with you. The only thing gothic wedding dresses represent is freedom of expression.

Dark Dresses are In Style

Gothic wedding dresses have an artistic style that sets them apart from the traditional look. Brides can wear them to stand out, represent their creativity or save money. Before getting a gothic wedding dress, you should know there are no rules about how it looks or why you have to wear it. As long as you love your dress, that’s all that matters.