The white wedding dress has long been a symbol of purity – but perhaps not as long as you may think.

The blushing bride who started the trend was none other than Queen Victoria, coming down the aisle in 1840, and its subsequent rise in popularity was less due to connotations of innocence, than connotations of the British Monarch’s wealth and prestige.

So, if traditional just isn’t doing it for you, there’s more…….

In New Orleans on Saturday night, 84 women showed up to represent their country and fight for the coveted crown of Miss Universe. Only one came out on top—Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel, making Americans prouder than ever to see a beautiful and intelligent woman speak on their behalf. R’Bonney made it to the final round along with Miss Dominican Republic and Miss Venezuela. She wowed the judges with her passion to help women empower the…….

So you have to tear yourself away from a weekend of Netflix, eat, and repeat long enough to attend a wedding? And worse, it’s happening in the winter? Truly shudder-inducing. But don’t fret—winter-ready dresses (opens in new tab) can be the most gorgeous, and we’ve for you covered (literally). Unlike spring and summer weddings (opens in new tab), to which you can wear the bare minimum, winter weddings call for dresses made from …….

One bridesmaid was so disgusted with the dress the bride asked her to wear that she turned up in a completely different one 30 minutes before the wedding ceremony

The bride was horrified when her bridesmaid turned up in a black dress (stock image) (

Image: Getty Images/Westend61)

When a bride picks her bridesmaids, she normally picks what sort of dress they will be wea…….