Quaker Wedding Shoes c. 1936

Gwyneth King’s watercolor painting depicts a pair of "Quaker Wedding Shoes." Notice the purity of their white color, which in Western culture has long symbolized virginity and innocence. But the significance of white wedding attire is far from timeless. It was Queen Victoria who popularized the white wedding dress in 1840, shifting the symbolic emphasis to purity and status. Prior to that, wedding dresses were often colorful, made to be worn again. The stark white of these shoes, however, also speaks to the Quaker values of simplicity and humility. The image of shoes carries its own emotional weight. Shoes are our point of contact with the earth, they mark our path through life, and in many cultures, they symbolize important transitions, such as marriage. Think of the tradition of tying shoes to the wedding car, a symbolic send-off into a new life. These Quaker Wedding Shoes represent a blend of cultural symbols evolving and intertwining, revealing the complex layers of meaning we attach to such important life events.