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New York (CNNBusiness) --
Weddings aren't usually an occasion to throw off convention, but some brides are doing it with at least one centerpiece of their nuptials: the white wedding dress.
Among the bridal trends that are on the rise, marketers have noted an increase in interest in black wedding dresses.
According to Google Trends, searches for "black wedding dress" have kept pace with those for "white wedding dress" over the last 12 months.
In September and October 2021, "black wedding dress" was searched more than "white wedding dress" on Google.
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"This is by far our favorite trend and we love it. Black dresses are elegant and dramatic," says Laura McKeever, director of public relations, philanthropy and communications for David's Bridal, one of the largest sellers of wedding dresses in the United States. Joined.
The trend has gained so much momentum since last year that David's Bridal, which previously only offered custom-made black wedding dresses, will offer black versions of its most popular wedding dress styles in select stores for the first time this fall.
Customers can already purchase those options in black on their website.
Why are brides so excited about ditching traditional white and traveling to the dark side of black?
"The concept of what is considered traditional has evolved," says McKeever.
The pandemic has also influenced this change, she said.
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"We start to see this in 2021, with couples wanting to throw traditional wedding rules out the window," he said.
"Brides who have had to postpone their weddings due to the pandemic now want their special day to be unique. They want to wear whatever they want on their big day. They are choosing unique venues, wearing sneakers and having food trucks at their wedding."
In other non-white selections, brides are also turning to blue, champagne, purple and red gown options, she said.
Capitalizing on this trend, David's Bridal has increased its selection of gowns in unconventional colors by 30% this year, up from 10% last year.
David's Bridal will add black wedding dresses to select stores for the first time this fall, after seeing increased demand.
Although brides often choose a black dress for fall and winter weddings, McKeever said a black wedding dress can be a timeless choice.
Azazie, a large online seller of bridal and party dresses and accessories, said it has already sold twice as many black wedding dresses so far in 2022 compared to last year and that between 8% and 10% of her wedding dress sales are currently for little black dresses.
"For some brides, white is old-fashioned, unoriginal, or not the most flattering color. Black evokes the red carpet glamor of old Hollywood," explains Ranu Coleman, Marketing Manager for Azazie.
"They feel like it brings extra attention and makes perfect sense to them."
Celebrities are partly driving this trend, according to Amber McCasland, vice president of global brand and communications for reselling platform Poshmark.
"With celebrities wearing black gowns to the 2022 Met Gala and Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn donning a black wedding dress, brides are drawing inspiration from their favorite celebrities to stand out on their big day," said McCasland.
"The rise in sales and searches for black wedding dresses on Poshmark shows that brides are willing to make bigger, bolder statements at the altar, especially after dealing with wedding postponements," he added.
Searches for black wedding dresses on Poshmark soared 75% in April from a year ago, and sales of black wedding dresses were up 33% in the month from a year ago.
This is not to say that black is going to dethrone the white wedding dress in the near future.
Wedding dress retailer DTC Azazie said it has already doubled the number of black wedding dresses it has sold so far in 2022 compared to last year.
Although white is still the most popular choice, some brides want to have it all.
"They will wear a white dress for the ceremony and a classy black dress for the reception," Coleman said.
New York-based Enaura Bridal, which creates custom hand-beaded wedding dresses in India, is busy with the demand for black wedding dresses.
Enaura founder Sohil Mistry said her customers weren't asking for black dresses before the pandemic, though she noted that before the crisis there was a movement towards colour, with brides embracing pinkish and ivory with gold.
Customers are increasingly asking for black, black mixed with gold and red dresses, she said.
"Brides take risks with their dresses to make a statement and have fun. A little black dress is a classic and something that can be worn over and over again," said Mistry.
Enaura Bridal founder Sohil Mistry hopes the black wedding dress trend will stick around for a while.
Mistry believes that the black wedding dress is not a fad.
"The bridal industry is pretty slow on trends," she says.
"This is picking up now. Trends may last at least five to 10 years."
How should the bride and groom complement the black wedding dress?
Very easy.
Stick with the trusty tuxedo, according to men's suit seller Men's Wearhouse.
"A classic black tuxedo is always a safe bet to complement a black wedding dress. However, suits are a great way to add some chic personality to your bridal attire and will complement a black wedding dress due to their inherent elegance and understated elegance. Classic white and ivory suits are very popular at the moment and will add a welcome contrast to a black wedding dress," said a store spokesperson.
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