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Tafadzwa Zimoyo LifeStyle Writer
WHEN you hear about a church wedding, many think of the white gowns, suits and cakes.Well, many brides do wear white at their wedding, but this “old custom” dates back to February 10 1840 when the young Queen Victoria wore white at her wedding with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, who had accepted her proposal a few months before (as Queen she had to propose). She thought she looked good in white and as the monarch of the most powerful nation in Europe she had to look like a head of state, not a bright young woman on her wedding day.

And then everyone wanted to wear white, and the other colours soon were forgotten, first in Britain and then gradually across Europe. Somehow this white dress then became entrenched in Anglophone colonial Africa.

But now women are going back to the colours.
Popular South Africa soap Generations star Dineo on her wedding to Phenyo in the soap, earlier this year wore the traditional Zulu attire.
The flashy wedding was described as the most stylish ever.

It hit the headlines because the wedding dress code struck at the heart strings of a new crop of young brides who are shunning the traditional colonial wedding dress in favour of more colourful and other exotic gowns.

In Zimbabwe, too, more and more brides are shunning the traditional white wedding gown and preferring pink, blue, gold, purple and green colourful gowns while others are moving in to tap on traditional African colours for their big day.

Colourful designs are capturing the imagination of increasing numbers of brides who now believe the exchanging of vows in the traditional white wedding is a fantasy that belongs to the past.

“There was a traditional garden wedding, followed by a traditional Zulu wedding and concluding with a beautiful reception where the couple was serenaded by the gorgeous songstress Lira,” says lifestyle coach Mitchelle Williams.

“I like the set-up and attire which now have replaced the formal white wedding,” she said.
Again the old school and soccer uniform is also trendy with the bridal team.

“I was surprised when I saw a bridal team wearing 70s dressing and thought the groom had hired Iyasa from Bulawayo. It was not only colourful but stylish and everyone adored it,” said Chipo Basopo of Mbare.

Breaking away from the norm continues to be the most popular option for Zimbabwean brides.
Saturday Herald Lifestyle found out that many of the brides regard the idea of wearing a traditional white gown as something of a joke.

“It’s a sentiment echoed by brides-to-be across the country,” says Patricia Mhlanga, who works in the capital.
“Sure, they want a knockout dress for their wedding, but these days many don’t consider it an expense worth breaking the bank for or becoming indebted to a family member. It’s a big cultural shift from just a few years ago, when women often spent more than they could afford on their dream white wedding gowns.”

She says she wants something beautiful, romantic and, most importantly, inexpensive for her coming wedding.
Call it the themed Fashion and Bold Style effect.

Today’s brides are expecting high-design wedding dresses for a fraction of the cost of a designer dress.
The move away from traditional white weddings is also in evidence with some wedding teams donning T-shirts and trendy jeans while others are going for uniquely designed African attire.

In Nigeria, brides stick to their African attire with a huge dose of theme-based designs.

Surprisingly, this trend is not unique to Zimbabwe and Africa alone but it is now global phenomenon. US actresses such as Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Ellen Pompeo, Shenea Greames and Jessica Biel have one thing in common.

They all shunned the Victorian white wedding gown when they got married, preferring instead to marry in colourful dresses.
Popular Mama June Shannon and Sugar Bear Thompson from US exchanged vows in a shocking hunting orange and camouflage at their commitment ceremony in Georgia, on May 5.

It also shocked the world.
Another star, Cynthia Bailey of Real Housewives of Atlanta, looked nothing short of a supermodel for her July 2010 wedding to restaurateur Peter Thomas in a grey gown.

Back home, recent studies on wedding fashion trends have endorsed that most young brides in various parts of the world are now turning their back on white dresses to wear an assorted mix of colourful gowns.

One study found that 50 percent of 21 to 29- year-olds would not get married in traditional white.
Amazingly the research also explored the colours associated with different events and emotions.

It found that red is largely seen as the colour that represents love while yellow was the most popular choice to represent happiness.
“Women are most likely to say that their mother has had the greatest impact on their colour choices,” the researchers said.

In contrast, researchers say, more than a third of men said their favourite sports team had influenced their choice of favourite colour.

“It’s interesting that mums have had a great impact on their daughters. We all know what colour tones we are drawn to and those we aren’t, it’s just a matter of trusting our insight,” says Caroline Mhukugurwa of Harare.

Others say men will choose their favourite sport team’s colour as it gives them a sense of belonging.
“Yes, we are tired of changing from one suit to another suit. Like now it’s summer time, colour-blocking would be perfect for a wedding,” says Goodwell Chidzonga of Harare.

“As human beings we have a natural need to belong to a tribe. In essence, they are creating an emotional connection through colour especially at weddings.”

And, it seems, as many young brides endorse the trend for colourful wedding dresses, white gowns will languish in the wardrobes of fashion museums.