Red is most definitely sassy. It's also super scandalous for a wedding dress. I'm not sure why the dress color has become synonymous with “off beat”, but it definitely is. I bet you didn't know that the Patriot women wore red wedding dresses during the revolutionary war to support the fight for freedom! Hows that for offbeat? Red isn't just synonymous with “offbeat” it also is the color of love, passion, romance and heat. Isn't that what marriage and weddings are about? It seems to me that red is a better choice than white for a wedding dress.

There is a few problems with red wedding gowns, none of them having to do with etiquette. Forget etiquette, if that is what is keeping you from picking your ideal dress. Some etiquette is overrated and outdated. Today women have choices for wedding dresses which include black, white, red and any other color that strikes our fancy.

The red wedding dress is one of the main centerpieces of the wedding. While there are hundreds of things to consider, the wedding dress, for most gals, comes first. It's usually something they've thought about constantly and needs to be perfect. That means finding the right dress color, fit and accessories.

A full out red dress is a pretty bold statement, but it's a statement worth making. There are dresses made from tulle, satin, silk and taffeta. The shades of red vary from dark red to bright. When the dress is all red, not just accented with it, it can be overwhelming if it's too embellished. If your dress is too bright, you can tone it down with softer colors like ivory and cream. The off white shades always look fantastic with red. Adding bright white accents will be too much contrast. You'll want to shine, but not blast everyone with shocking colors.

Some really great accents to add are sashes, beading, embroidery and sequins. The really great thing about red, is that it looks terrific with almost every color, even other shades of red. For more modern styles, you can add black or cream as secondary colors to the cerise and maroon reds, as well as cardinal and venetian. To go for a nautical look, use navy blue with deep reds. Contemporary styles look great with scarlet and yellows, fuchsia and teal. Vintage looks should be ivory, cream, cobalt blue and pastel yellow with rose, puce and rust. You can find the shades of these at Wikipedia. But maybe you're going to go with another color dress and use red to accent it? In that case you'll be more interested in the next section.

The current trend with wedding dresses isn't the full red dress, its white or ivory dresses with red trim around the hem, train and neckline. It's quite beautiful in it's simplicity. It also makes picking out bridesmaid dresses a cinch. Simply match their dresses to the style of the bride's dress and the color can match the red trim. It's important to match the color of the dress as close as possible, the best option is to buy a dress that is dyeable.

It's a little more difficult to find red trim in the exact colors that you need. You can have the dress specially made to order on EBay from a lot of different dress makers. However, if you're looking for a specific designer, they work with dye batches which they use in their designs. Part of what makes designer's clothes so special is they design not only styles of dresses but the create the colors as well. The color choices are essential to the design. They don't make that much money because they just draw the dress with a few ready made ideas. They innovate with applique, beading, color.

Red is such a sexy and glamorous color, it's easy to figure out why all the dresses are strapless, sleeveless, made with spaghetti straps. Those dresses can be worn for winter, of course, but what if you want a real winter wedding dress, with faux fur (can't be killin those rabbits for fashion), velvet or a heavier cloth. Those are the types of dresses that there is only three options:

1. Find it online somewhere and pay whatever it takes to get it shipped to you. Settle down for a long search, because there are very few red dresses that fit the winter theme and are made for a wedding. Expect to spend some time searching for your dress and it may not be ideal.

2. Buy the ideal dress in white and have it dyed. This can be a really difficult task because of seams and other aspects of the dresses which can make the color look terrible. Before you make any purchase, be sure to consult with a service in regards to dying the dress. Additionally, dresses that can't withstand heat, can't be dyed. They'll shrink in the process.

3. Have the dress specially made to your specifications. This is the road I would go with. In the end it will be cheaper, safer and, in the end, the finished product will be exemplary. You can order specially made dresses online, however, I recommend someone local so you don't end up with a poorly made dress and no recourse. Alternatively, go with a seller on EBay with a great deal of positive feedback.

Not everyone can wear every shade of red. There are distinct tints which work for every woman. There is no reason why every woman cannot wear red, but learning what works with your coloring is important. There are quite a few rules about what works best, but there is a TV show that explains the details much better than I ever could.

Trinny and Susannah are two British women that have a lot of style advice which is extremely helpful. In order to determine which shade of red you'll want to wear, visit their website and read up on what works best with your coloring. Their link is Trinny and Susannah's guide to wearing red.

It's really important to pick the very best shade for your coloring, because picking the wrong shade will overwhelm your face, and that isn't what you want on your wedding day; for no one to notice your face. Choose your red wedding dress to match your coloring and you'll look like a dream.