A bride is a woman who will be married. She is usually attended by a maid of honor and/or groomsmen and often a flower girl. She is typically adorned in a wedding gown and is often complemented by other bridal attire such as jewelry, shoes, veil, hat or headpiece. A bride may be accompanied by a father and/or step-father, or she may be walking down the aisle with her children.
The wedding is a complex ritual that involves the bride’s movement from her unwed status to her new marriage and her incorporation into her husband’s family as his wife. As a part of this ritual, the bride experiences two types of power transitions during the wedding preparation process (Turner 1982).
One of these is role power, which includes both coercive and reward power. Another is expert power, which involves the use of knowledge and expertise to influence others. Finally, referent power refers to the power that comes from the authority a person holds in a specific relationship to the bride. The researchers analyzed the qualitative data from their interviews and determined that the most influential power bases in dress selection are role, expert and referent.
The bride’s father is the primary source of her role power in dress selection. His authority comes from his position in the relationship as well as his knowledge of her tastes and fashion preferences. He is also a strong source of financial support, which can be important when making a wedding purchase. In addition, the father of the bride traditionally takes several duties during the wedding day. He is usually responsible for giving his daughter away at the ceremony and he may lead her down the aisle or join her during the father-daughter dance.
Bridal Shower
A popular prewedding event, the bridal shower gives friends and family members an opportunity to celebrate the bride-to-be before her big day. This can involve planning games, sharing favorite memories and gifting a wide variety of wedding-related items. The most common bridal shower gifts include:
Embroidery and Beading
The final touch to a dress, embroidery and beading are hand or machine-stitched decorative designs on a gown, bodice, train or veil. They can range from simple straight lines to intricate patterns.
The most popular bridal accessory is the veil. This is traditionally worn by the bride during the ceremony and can be flipped or removed afterward. The blusher is a short veil that hangs over the face, while the cathedral is the longest style. Other styles of veils include the mantilla, which is secured with a comb and is made of lace or tulle; and the sweep, which is a short train that brushes the floor.