In 2002, pop icon Gwen Stefani walked down the aisle in a stunning pale pink gown, set off by hot pink trim. And who could forget the stunning lavender gown of Friends star, Lisa Kudrow, worn in the third to last episode of the show? These are just two examples of a bride exercising her right to add just a tad more self expression than that available from traditional wedding white.
And just why is one drawn to one color over another? Many, myself included, believe it has less to do with aesthetics, and a great deal more to do with the values of the person in question. Blue, for example, is said to be the color of trust, tranquility and intuition, while violet represents strength, passion and meditation. Green is reminiscent of growth, abundance, prosperity and hope, while pink is recognized as the shade of universal love. Hence, as it is love with which a bride is most concerned on her wedding day, it is the dazzling, versatile, often seductively coy color of pink upon which this article will focus.
Universal love, of oneself as well as others, is just one of pink's numerous connotations. Kindness, courage, energy, loyalty, purity, romance and, yes, even passion, are just a few of the key words associated with the color pink. Pink is also symbolic of bounty, fertility and abundance, as exemplified in the "Full Pink Moon" of April, a title derived from herb moss pink and wild phlox, one of the most abundant wild flowers of spring. The "Full Strawberry Moon" of June is also reminiscent of pink, known in the farming community as the moon of the strawberry harvest.
Pink also contains elements of fire and air, passion and oxygen combined, thus summoning to the mind images of life, ripeness, hunger and succulent pleasure. Even the definition of pink carries positive connotations. Pink is no longer merely a color, reddish in hue; it is also denotative of "the highest or best degree," as in "the pink of health".
Whether the dress is casual or formal, tea-length or couture, pink is a "GO!" with many of today's top designers. In general, the spirit of pink is more casual, making it an ideal choice for a spring or summer wedding. Winter and couture gowns are also available in blush, rose and baby pink hues, exemplary of the fact that pink is a shade of all seasons.
Pink is also an excellent choice for brides with a paler skin tone. However, it is able to flatter the blonde and brunette as well as the blushing red-head. Just picture Selma Hayek alongside Gwyneth Paltrow in the same pale pink. Gorgeous, right? It isn't the photographer's air-brushing. Pink is its own illumination.
