When guests turn up at a nuptial ceremony, they wait to see confetti showers and an ocean of bright flowers, a sunlit aisle symbolizing the path of life, blissful and serene, and a flurry of delicate petals… We all expect marriage to become celebration of true love and devotion, a dignified declaration of faith and solemn exchange of vows. The word brings to mind every positive association with the union of man and woman.

The big day is vibrant with special feelings – the air of magic is enhanced with twinkling lights around and the clinking of champagne glasses. We picture happy smiles of the festively clad crowd and, first and foremost, the resplendent white gown. People will describe it later to their own friends and tell how beautiful, tasteful and classy the wearer looked. Imagine the impression it makes on the hearer when then they pronounce “And the bride wore black” – for a change.

Actually, white – the alternative adjective for ‘traditional’ in the nuptial context – has not always been the one and only choice. In the past Europe was more versatile. For their marriages noble women used to wear brocard, heavy velvet, even furs – quite often, in fact. Expensive materials and fabrics were a status marker. Commoners would put on folk costumes. However, in our days weddings are supposed to be white or close thereof. Any distinctly colored attire is likely to leave an unforgettable impression – strange and bordering on weird. Dark shades, in the first place, tend to make guests gasp.

Ladies in black

Anyway, if you are scouting for truly shocking inspirations, turn to Goths. Their themes and designs probably make up for the biggest percentage of all creepy ceremonies out there. The noobs often apply scary smoky eyes make-up with somber or glaringly red lips for a sullen instead of cheerful expression. Imagine heavy boots where the high heels should have been… And a pair of horns in place of the veil to top it off – wink!

Goth gowns can be standard color. However even if they are, it sends chills down the spine. A classic combo is traditional sprinkled with some funereal splotches – flowers, belts, sheer or lace fabric. All in all, the solutions come across as macabre and foreboding rather than festive. You know, that is just what the subculture is looking for. The absolute favorites are purple and mauve dresses. Gray veil is great. Matching black with red is good, too. Team it with orange for a still funkier appearance. Or go steampunk, which could make just perfect attire for such a wedding. The guests would never forget it, guaranteed.

One of the most famous dark brides in the world was Avril Lavigne when she went to the altar – dubious expression given the outfit – with Chad Kroeger. The singer was clad in a black lace dress and had a bouquet composed of some pitch colored roses – possibly painted. She opted for a thin silvery wreath for headpiece and wore her hair loose and uncombed-looking. The style gave rise to many speculations about Avril Lavigne behaving like a rebellious teenager.

There are people who would like to make ebony bridal gowns mainstream, holding out that they are stylish, sexy – and slimming, too. Vera Wang, the designer of exclusive wedding dresses, even brought on a black line. However, the trend did not take, despite that those creations were well advertised. Couples like light angelic textures better.

One of the reasons for giving preference to white may be the fact that many regard marriages as unique happenings. Then, if you do not wear a proper and befitting dress you have, sort of, messed up that once-in-a-lifetime event! Another celebrity fiancée Sara Jessica Parker, who wore ebony in 1997, admitted later it was a mistake. The actress said that, if she had to do it over again, she would definitely settle for conventional color more suitable for a woman going down the aisle. Not that the get-up in question was eye-popping. It was actually good, but utterly out of place – stiff, mournful and sad.

Other shocking wedding looks

Some brides-to-be just lack style so much, that they amaze everyone with plain tastelessness and vulgarity. While the etiquette tells not to show too much flesh, a careless few do the opposite and take it to entirely new levels. They display almost whole boobs – envy the groom! As there was more than one instance spotted around the globe, scientists fear it might be catching and work to find a vaccine.

Back to celebrities, showbiz knows other bewildering cases of the wedding craze. At the top of the list is the famous baywatch Pamela Anderson. The busty star was true to herself while celebrating the nuptial. When she tied the knot with the rocker Kid Rock, she went onboard of a yacht. Nothing strange so far no one suspected what the lady meant to do there. And she stripped off the white gown, staying in a skimpy bikini. Surely, Pam those tiny pieces of clothing always looked flattering on you, but did you really need them on your big day? Maybe, the beach bunny forever just confused marriage context with a movie set…