Recently, Newsweek ran “Like a Virgin No More,” an interesting article by Kayleen Schaefer about why modern brides are more sexy than blushing.

Instead of a fairytale wedding with a princess gown, Schaefer says, today’s bride is more likely to opt for racy gowns, wild bachelorette parties and sexy Maxim-style pre-wedding photo shoots.

“The rise of the bride who is more bold than blushing can be explained by a host of sociological factors, most of which have nothing to do with the word “bridezilla.” For one, our entire culture is loosening up and becoming more sexualized, and taking the wedding ceremony—and young girls’ dreams of what theirs will be like—with it.”

Schaefer offers several reasons for this change. She points out that:

• Young women are comfortable with posting sexy pictures of themselves online in places like MySpace.
• Women are getting married later in life, closer to 30 than 20, and they are more apt to look to role models like “Sex in the City’s” Carrie Bradshaw rather than Cinderella.

Shaefer concludes by saying that racy bachelorette parties, couples living together before the wedding and the sexual empowerment of women in general also have contributed to this trend.

It’s a fascinating read, and you can check out the entire article, here.

— Photo Credit: www.Newsweek.com