The black wedding gown.

Well, sort of. The tulle overlay is definitely navy, according to my eyes and the Oscar de la Renta website. Perhaps the entire dress is navy, but I find that more difficult to see. Regardless, the shade is not as important as the revolution of the colored wedding gown.

To wear ivory or champagne instead of white is becoming more popular with modern brides, but to dare to even wear a blush pink or yellow or peach is stretching far outside the realm of normal, at least for first-time brides. More second-or-more time brides don’t wear white because they feel the jig is up; they’re clearly not virginal. But just because white represents purity, and that was the traditional reasoning for putting new brides in white, doesn’t mean an intact hymen is a requirement for wearing a white gown. I say, wear what you feel the best in – if you’ve always pictured yourself in a white gown on your wedding day, don’t pick champagne just to be modern, prove a point, go against tradition, or proclaim your non-virginity. But of course, don’t feel that you need to wear white just because it’s the tradition! Oscar de la Renta and countless other designers and real-life brides have proven that you can have your dream wedding in a dress of any color, regardless of what your Jewish grandmother tells you.

Anyway, let’s get back to the dress in question. As few women travel outside the world of white and ivory, it must be a minuscule amount who choose a dark color. And yet this feels unquestionably bridal. The veil helps, of course, but even without it, I think this would still be unmistakably bridal. The cascade of silver from the bodice down to the bottom of the skirt helps brighten the gown; it still shines the way a new bride should. And though I’m not crazy about veils in general (I only like them so the groom can make sure he’s marrying Rachel and not Leah), I find this one particularly beautiful. It feels like the little silvery butterfly-like designs are floating magically up throughout both the gown and the veil, and it brings such a heavenly feeling to the entire look.

So if ever there were an angel dressed in black, this is she. What a beautiful sight.