In Western culture, a wedding does not seem complete without the bride in a white dress that was specially selected.  It was not until the trend-setting Queen Victoria wore a white dress for her nuptials to Prince Albert did the masses follow suit. In earlier times, a new dress was costly and for many women, a luxury they simply could not afford. Their wedding dresses were merely their Sunday best and were continuously worn after the wedding. Today’s wedding dresses hold sentimental value for the wearer and are often preserved for future generations.