What The New Millennium Bride Are Wearing - And Groom - Brief Article

Ebony, June, 2001 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

IT'S a new day and a new way. The first wedding fashion rule to remember in the new millennium is that there are no rules. Whether it's the first wedding or the fifth, the bride can wear stark white and so can the groom. Or the first-time bride can wear a blush-colored gown or add color and accents to a white gown. The groom can wear white or can complement his black tuxedo with a multicolored vest, cummerbund and tie or the bride and groom can literally jump the broom in African-inspired dress created by top designers.

The do's and don'ts of wedding traditions have relaxed to include the couple's personal fashion choices and personal fashion style. In many cases, the time and location of the ceremony will dictate many of the fashion choices. Is the wedding formal, semi-formal or informal? Will it be held in a church cathedral, in the islands at sunset, on the beach at daybreak or outside in the South during the summer? These types of choices will often dictate the choice of wedding finery.

While brides have always had choices of floor-length or cocktail-length gowns, suits or dresses, detailed or plain, long veil with blusher, short veil, tiara, hat or no head covering at all, the groom's choices were limited to a tuxedo, usually of the bride's style choice with the traditional satin lapel and satin-striped tuxedo trousers in black, white or gray.

Today's grooms have added some flavor to that traditional combination. While the tuxedo is still the No. 1 choice for most grooms, fashion experts say today's grooms are making their own personal statements in wedding attire. The three-quarter-length and maxi-length jackets are on the cutting edge of wedding fashion for men, experts say. Grooms are also jazzing up the staid tuxedo with black shirts and black satin ties, matching vest and bow-tie sets as well as adding hints of bold color to their ensemble.

So when taking the plunge into the matrimonial pool, don't just tread water--make a splash with wedding attire that reflects your culture and your personal style.

For additional tips on millennium wedding attire for brides and grooms that say more than "I Do," take a look at some examples on the following pages.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Corey Simon and his Florida State University college sweetheart, Natasha Givens, wed in a fairy-talestyle ceremony at Disney's Wedding Pavilion at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The newlyweds are surrounded by their groomsmen, including current NFL players Andre Wadsworth, Henri Crockett, Zack Crockett, Jerry Johnson and Peter Boulware, and relatives Ron Miller, Dwayne Hawkins and Dennis Walker, all attired in black tuxedos with gray patterned vests. The bride wore a beaded, strapless gown with a full skirt and a half-length, satin-edged tulle veil. All-white African wedding attire is modeled by couple from Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Nigerian Fabrics and Fashions. The groom is wearing a three-piece Nigerian lace pant set (hat not shown) and the bride is wearing a two-piece ensemble. The white and silver spaghetti-strap bridal gown is embroidered with the ankh on the hem and the symbol of love, devotion and faithfulness on the breastplate with an organza cape. Her headpiece is decorated with silver cowrie shells. Tennessee couple Christopher and Marsha Price both wore white for their wedding at Andrew Price United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. The groom wore a white two-button, shawl-collar tuxedo trimmed in black with a black vest, white shirt and black Windsor tie. He wore black tuxedo pants. The bride wore a floor-length strapless gown with a matching wrap. The gown's bodice was intricately decorated with pearls and lace and her custom-designed tiara and floor-length veil were trimmed in satin and pearls.

Home-run wedding style for men was demonstrated by Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Gary! Sheffield at his wedding to gospel singer DeLeon Richards. He sported a black pinstriped tuxedo with a vest and a three-quarter-length jacket with a bluish-gray, silk-satin shirt and ascot. His vest buttons are covered in the same fabric as the shirt. His groomsmen have on black shirts with their tuxedos. The wedding party included Major League Baseball stars Dwight (Doc) Gooden, Eric Davis and Ray Lankford. The bride wore a Michelle Roth cap-sleeve gown with a bodice of imported lace and a full silk skirt. Singer/actor Eddie Bryan of Krucial Entertainment and Connie Harrison wed at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The bride designed her platinum Chantilly lace formal pantsuit. Intricately detailed with a scalloped neckline, waistline and sleeves, the hip-hugger, full-leg pants were covered with a sheer illusion tulle train overlay. The groom wore a classic four-button-style black tuxedo with a white shirt accented with a platinum necktie and matching pocket handkerchief. His groomsmen wore platinum-colored, silk-satin shirts.

Hit singer Joe was one of the celebrity guests attending singer Syleena Johnson's Chicago wedding to Illinois State University basketball player Marcus Betts. The bride's gown featured a fitted bodice with a portrait-style neckline embroidered with beads at neckline and waistline and a floor-length, ball-gown style tulle skirt edged in satin and a tiara-headpiece veil. The bride is the daughter of acclaimed blues singer Syl Johnson. Her new CD is Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness. Dr. Billy Ingram married Solombra Denise Tucker, executive assistant to Kenny (Babyface) Edmonds, in a star-studded affair before 1,200 guests. The bride's gown featured an empire top with cutaway sleeve and yoke of imported lace with pearls and other stones. The gown's full circular satin skirt had a six-foot attached train embroidered with lace edging. The groom was dressed in white tails and white Italian shoes. His groomsmen wore black tuxedos, featuring the popular three-quarter-length jackets and brocaded satin periwinkle blue vests and ties, which matched the bridesmaids' dresses. Ebony Fashion Fair's groom model is wearing a three-quarter-length velvet morning coat with velvet tuxedo pants accented with a white silk-satin ascot.