We all
love a wedding and the first thing most people want to see and comment on is
the bride’s dress. Who can resist having
an opinion on what she’s wearing?
 |
| 1931 |
Everyone
has different tastes, and there are some mind-boggling creations that make
their appearances in churches across the country – you do wonder sometimes what
the poor grooms think when they see some of them come sailing down the aisle
towards them! (Provided, of course, they
have followed the tradition of not being allowed to see it before the wedding,
which I’ve always been told is very bad luck).
Most brides do look beautiful though, and who wouldn’t want to be at
their best on such an important day?
At the
moment, there is a wonderful exhibition on at the Victoria & Albert Museum
in London showing wedding
dresses and accessories from the late 1700’s onwards (Wedding Dresses 1775-2014). A veritable feast for anyone who loves weddings, it is fascinating to see the progression of such gowns through the centuries. Naturally they followed general fashion
trends, but it is clear brides have always made an effort to wear the very best
they could, spending as lavishly as their fathers permitted. (There’s a selection of photos of some of the various
gowns on the V & A’s Pinterest board here.)
 |
| 1850's |
To
begin with, wedding dresses were just very nice gowns that could later be used
again as ball gowns or for Sunday best.
Being white was not a prerequisite until Queen Victoria set a trend by
wearing white at her own wedding in 1840, although young ladies often did wear white in
any case. The important thing seems to
have been using a luxurious material and lots of special embellishments, such as
exquisite embroidery and fine lace. I
loved seeing the various outfits on display and only wished I could have tried
some of them on!
During World
War II brides had to be extra inventive as dress materials were rationed. Apparently upholstery/curtain material wasn’t
though, so there were some lovely wedding dresses made out of what could also
have passed for very pretty curtains!
 |
| 1957 |
The
exhibition doesn’t just show traditional gowns, however. There were some very different ones, such as
a glorious purple creation worn by Dita Von Teese when she married singer
Marilyn Manson. I would have worn that
to a ball myself, but as she is an unusual lady, it suited her to perfection.
Afterwards,
I found myself looking through the family albums to see what the generations
before me chose to wear and they all appear to have dresses in keeping with the
fashions of their time. My great-great-great-grandmother in her Sunday best in the 1850's, my grandmother
in a 1930’s style gown and my mother in late 1950’s elegance. As for me, I chose a Victorian style, having
always loved the bustles and ‘leg-of-mutton’ sleeves so prevalent then. Would I still choose that if I were to be
married now? Probably – I’m an
old-fashioned kind of girl.
I was pleased to discover that myrtle has been included in royal wedding bouquets for quite some time as I wore a crown made of myrtle leaves, a tradition in my own family. I'd love to hear from anyone else who followed an unusual family tradition for their wedding!
I was pleased to discover that myrtle has been included in royal wedding bouquets for quite some time as I wore a crown made of myrtle leaves, a tradition in my own family. I'd love to hear from anyone else who followed an unusual family tradition for their wedding!
Christina
x
