Helène Fourment in Wedding Dress by her husband Rubens, c1630

                            The wedding attire of Renaissance England was often times the bride's
                best dress and the groom's best fitting attire.  For the more privileged upper
                classes, wedding clothing were designed for the occasion. The white wedding
                dress was first made popular by Anne of Brittany in 1499, yet did not reach
                its full height of popularity until the Victorian Era.  In biblical days, blue
                (not white) represented purity, and the bride and groom would wear a blue
                band around the bottom of their wedding attire, lending to the tradition of
                wearing something blue.  The Elizabethan wedding gown tended to be either
                of heavy brocades ornamented with beautiful threads and lace in gilded,
                metallic colors or white, billowing, long sleeved dresses decorated with
                antique lace, bows and numerous tiny buttons.  The necklines were either
                plunging to reveal ample amount of cleavage, or a very high neckline with the
                body completely covered in petticoats and corsets, creating a huge ball-gown
                skirt.