One very meaningful link between our Heavenly marriage to Christ and an earthly marriage is the bridal dress. Wedding garments are specifically referred to in the Scripture as important and significant, and worthy of our careful consideration.
White Symbolizes Purity
Throughout the Word of God, the color white symbolizes purity or righteousness. The prophet Isaiah extended God’s invitation of pardon to the nation of Israel with these words: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
When the Lord Jesus and three of His disciples were high on a mountain, Christ was transfigured before them. There, on the Mount of Transfiguration, even His attire was changed to a dazzling white! According to Mark 9:3, “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.”
To full cloth was to clean it and then treat it with heat and pressure to cause the fibers to bind tightly together. The result was whiter, cleaner, and more compact linen that was highly valued.
White linen is directly linked with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7–8. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” A bride who honors the Lord and her husband will ensure that her dress is clean and modest, drawing attention to her countenance and not unduly to her body.
Whenever a bride clothes herself in a white wedding dress, it is a reminder of the glorious day when Christ will present to Himself His Bride the Church, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27).
Ornamentation Symbolizes Value
The wedding dress is often the most valuable and expensive garment that a woman will ever wear. Wedding dresses are often made of luxurious fabrics such as satin, silk, and lace, and accessorized with extravagant decorative items such as pearls, jewels, and veils. Sometimes long, flowing trains are added, giving even more flourish to the bridal attire.
This custom of ornamenting a bridal dress stretches back to the ancient days of Biblical times. Isaiah spoke of the ornamentation worn by a Hebrew bride and bridegroom in Isaiah 61:10. “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
Rather than an ostentatious display of lavish wealth, the bridal ornamentation was intended to portray the value that the families of the bride and groom placed upon the marriage. For example, Jewish brides traditionally wore an elaborate headdress. This headdress was often accented with coins and jewels that were placed on long strands and then suspended from the bridal headpiece. The coins worn in the bridal headdress were the dowry bestowed upon her.
The groom’s attire often featured a sword and regalia that conveyed the power of inheritance and protection. The families were testifying by both the bride and groom’s wedding attire ornamentation that the marriage was permanent, valuable, and bright with the promise of fruitfulness and prosperity.
Today, whenever a bride selects her wedding dress, these considerations from Scripture regarding the symbolism in the ceremony and the bridal attire should be carefully thought through. For a Christian couple, the choices made in their marriage ceremony and attire will reflect their desire to glorify God, honor marriage, and portray the radiant purity and value of Christ’s love for His Bride and His Bride’s love for Him.
