What does it mean when someone wears white to a wedding?
Sophia Vance
Updated on March 22, 2026
In many societies the color white has long been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West.
What does wearing white at a wedding mean?
The practice likely traces back more than 2,000 years, with roots in the Roman Republic (509 B.C. - 27 B.C.) when brides wore a white tunic. The color white represented purity, symbolizing both a woman's chastity and her transition to a married Roman matron.Is it disrespectful to wear white to a wedding?
It's no longer taboo to wear white!"According to the Emily Post Institute, it's acceptable to wear white, as long as it doesn't 'distract from the bride or her attendant's dresses. ' For example, a colorful, cocktail-length dress with a white lace overlay is acceptable," says Lehman.