At Lower Barns our love affair with colour comes from our travels around the world, as well as, the inspiration on our doorstep with the coast line and natural rugged landscapes of Cornwall … and we just love to mix it up. There isn’t a room with a particular theme but there are hints. The Wed Shed shows how much we love Mexico and The Shack our passion for Scandinavia.
When couples arrive to be married we always love the fun and excitement of getting ready and to see what everyone is wearing. And just like there is no ‘normal’ with our colours and style at Lower Barns, we see the same too with wedding gear. People celebrate their uniqueness and make what they wear meaningful. Sometimes their frock tells a story about them; they’ve designed it and made it with the help of a friend. Others have had the luck and surprise to find a beautiful gown in a charity shop when they’ve not been looking. A dress previously worn by a loved one is always pretty special. Peoples personality, character and style shine through with meaning and not always tradition.
Equally we see many beautiful white, cream and ivory dresses, which are traditional in style and colour.
We thought we would do a bit of digging around into the origins of the ‘white’ frock and were surprised to find that it was Queen Victoria that started this trend. Interesting really that there are plenty of architectural and furniture design trends still popular from the Victoria and Albert innovations. Apparently, she went against the norm for wedding dresses in a variety of colours made in heavy silk satin and chose white to stand our for her crowds. She even suffered a bit of a backlash from British aristocracy who were outraged that white was the colour of mourning.
Over time colours are picked up by trends and represent feelings, emotions and states of mind. At Lower Barns we feel that colour in our rooms can make people feel positive, uplifted and energised. It is said that white represents innocence and purity. Some say ivory is the same as white and some say it’s tainted innocence!! Blue is meant to suggest femininity, purity, stability and loyalty. Pink can be innocence, freshness and femininity or on the opposite end – flirtatiousness. Red is all about love and infatuation, strong emotions, excitement, energy, strength and passion, while black is seen on a scale from sexuality and power to class, elegance, sophistication and sheer style. What do you think? Does this sound right, or do people just wear whatever is their favourite?
We would love to know your thoughts when choosing the colour of your wedding dress and if you continued a theme of colour. Queen Victoria’s 12 bridesmaids all wore white as well.
Seems that Queen Victoria may have bucked another tradition in her time and started a trend that is still with us too. Instead of wearing a crown, she wore a very ‘untraditional’ wreath of flowers in her hair. Who knew she was such a rebel?! I like the idea that she chose white to be seen by her crowds – her decision had meaning and intent. What a surprise it’s still so popular nearly 180 years later!
Go on, tell us what you think!!
If you are planning to get married and interested to come and look around our venue, please give us a call on 01726 844881 or email janie@lowerbarns.co.uk.
Will look forward to hearing from you.
Janie x