Ask Alysia: Colour Me Beautiful

Leanne Marshall

November 18, 2024

Submit a question for Alysia to answer in a future column by emailing magazine@rocknrollbride.com and using the subject line ASK ALYSIA

It’s important to me to have my wedding outfit be colourful, but I’m worried I won’t look ‘weddingy’ enough if I’m not wearing white. Can I dress colourfully and still feel like it’s my wedding day?

The short answer is YES, you can absolutely rock a colourful frock and feel wedding-ready! To ensure an outfit feels right for the occasion, consider the ceremonial aspect: does this outfit make you feel special enough for this big day? One way to achieve this is by thinking about the formality of your look, which can be easily enhanced through fabric and silhouette. A colourful dress made from silk, chiffon, organza, or satin will naturally feel more elevated than your everyday synthetic blend.

When it comes to silhouette, you don’t necessarily need a big ballgown to achieve that elevated feeling (although there is something to be said for a full skirt on a wedding day!). Adding a statement element to the silhouette that makes it stand out from everyday wear can help. Any kind of train, a dramatic flare at the knee, or a bold sleeve – these will all make your outfit feel unmistakably wedding-ready in your colourful dress.

And don’t forget the impact of accessories on your look. You could put a veil on and wear a T-shirt, and I’d say you’re ready to walk down the aisle! Remember, at the end of the day, it is you and your partner’s wedding day: that, in and of itself, means you can wear whatever you want, and it will feel like your big day… because it is!

I’d love to incorporate the pride flag into my wedding dress but don’t want to dress in full rainbow. Any ideas?

Oh, absolutely! Whether you want to incorporate the traditional rainbow colours or bring in colours from a specific pride flag, there are lots of ways you can do it without going full rainbow dress (although I am always here for a rainbow gown moment!).

If you’d like to add to your dress or outfit directly, think of smaller details you can incorporate through alterations. Small colourful beads sewn onto your straps in the order of the pride flag you’d like to represent, or dyed lace motifs attached to the hem of your train, would be wonderful ways to add the flag to your dress without it becoming the main focus. Have fun with earrings, hair combs, or even shoes that feature the pride flag colours as another subtle nod.

For a bolder option, you could play with a veil or chiffon cape dyed in the colours you’d like. The veil or cape doesn’t have to be fully dyed or exactly in flag order – a watercolour blend of colours all over or gentle touches of colour along the edges would look beautiful too! Have a look at Lucy Can’t Dance, The Couture Company, Bexbrides and Leanne Marshall (pictured), who all specialise in dyeing their gowns and accessories, using a variety of creative colour techniques.

If you want something more intimate, you could stitch a small pride flag patch into your pocket or on the inside of your skirt. If carrying a bouquet, you could also wrap the flowers in pride-colour ribbons or even add small charms pinned to the bouquet’s ribbon in the flag colours.

However you choose to incorporate the pride flag into your wedding look, try to purchase these pieces from queer artists and vendors. That community support makes your visible pride that much sweeter on your wedding day!

This article originally appeared in issue 57 of Rock n Roll Bride magazine. You can purchase the latest edition here, or why not subscribe to never miss an issue?

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