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| Jessica Castro Weddings |
By Janey Tracey, Brides
[post_ads]Marriage in America has come a long way in recent decades, and yet the
wedding ceremony itself is, more often than not, rigidly traditional,
especially when it comes to stereotypical gender roles. So how's a
feminist bride-to-be to cope with some of these old-fashioned norms?
Well, the good news is, none of these practices are necessary for a
beautiful wedding day or a happy union. Here, seven conservative wedding
traditions that should go the way of the dodo—and a few feminist,
forward-thinking alternatives:
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| Getty Images |
1.
Wearing a white dress
White wedding dresses may be the standard now, but that wasn't always
the case. They didn't become popular in Western cultures until the mid
19th century, thanks to Queen Victoria. From that point, wearing a white
dress down the aisle became a symbol of the bride's purity. While some
feminists argue that the white dress no longer symbolizes virginity, the
color white is still very much used as a symbol for sweetness and
innocence in our modern culture
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| Photo by Michael Stephens Photography |
[post_ads]Alternative? Wear a dress that expresses who you are.
Your wedding day is all about you (and your partner), so why not wear a
dress that reflects your unique personality? If you want to be a little
different but still want your dress to look like a "wedding dress," then
blush, silver, or light blue will work. That being said, a wedding
dress can be whatever you want; you're the bride, after all! It can be
bright red (as is customary in many Eastern cultures), it can be black,
it can be tie-dyed. It doesn't even have to be a dress; you can wear a
crop top and a maxiskirt, a fancy romper, or a T-shirt and jeans. If
ever there was a day when the world should be your oyster, it's your
wedding day
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| Getty Images |
2.
Asking the father's permission
This antiquated tradition harks back to the time when young girls were
considered the property and financial burden of their fathers and were
handed off as such to their husbands. But even without those
connotations, asking the dad's permission feels weird and dated. If a
woman is old enough to get married, she's old enough to make her own
decisions. Before you check whether her father is okay with her getting
married, you should probably make sure she actually wants to marry you.
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| Photo by Nicole Leever Photography |
Alternative? Get the blessing of both sets of parents.
Men may argue that they want to get the blessing of the bride's parents
(or parental figures) out of respect, but that makes sense only if they
ask their own parents as well. Otherwise, the implication is still that
they're making sure the bride's parents approve of their ability to
support a wife, when women can support themselves just fine on their
own.
