A Century of Wedding Belles - Sepia Saturday & Wedding Wednesday

Sepia Saturday give bloggers an opportunity to share their family history through photographs. This week's theme is WEDDINGS

Where do I start on this topic? 

Postings relating to weddings have always come high on my page views, 

 so I decided here to "Focus on the Fashions,  1879-1971."   

1879

From "The Illustrated London News", issue no. 2074 , March 15th 1879. which I purchased many years aglo in London.  This the wedding dresss of Louise Margaret Alexandra Victoria, third daughter of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia who married Queen Victoria's third son Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught.

The princess's dress was described as "made of thick white satin, the waist trimmed with lace 4" wide, the skirt also trimmed with lace 12" deep with bunches of myrtle. The train was 13 feet long, with a rich lace flounce 3 feet wide, upon which was laid a branch of myrtle......The bridal veil was richly decorated with real point-de-gaze lace, ornamented with flowers, crown and the royal coat of arms of Prussia, in relief, all worked with real white lace. The order was given at the beginning of July last and the work has been done by the hands of 300 peasant girls in the mountains of Silesia".

1910

What a magnificent hat!   Worn by Sarah Alice Oldham  who married George Butler in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1910. From the collection of my third cousin, Stuart.

1919

Sarah's sister Beatrice  married Jack Clarke in 1919.  I feel the significance of the date after the First World War is not lost in this photograph where there is a air of informality (shorter skirt, trilby hat etc.), compared with the opulence of Sarah's dress above. Another  photograph from my cousin Stuart.  

1928

"Gowned in delphinium blue" was the description of this dress worn by my  mother's cousin Annie Danson who married Harry Ditchfield in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire with the local newspaper giving a fulsome account of the dress. "The sleeveless bodice being plain, while the circular skirt was side slashed and bordered all round with deep silver lace. Her hat was ruched georgette to tone and she wore silver shoes and hose to tone. Her bouquet was of pale pink chrysanthemums." 

1929

Another newspaper report gave the over-the-top account of the dress at my great aunt Jennie Danon's wedding to Bill Stemp at Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire.  Jennie was " stylishly gowned in French grey georgette, veiling silk to tone. The bodice which was shaped to the figure was quite plain, with a spray of orange blossoms at the shoulder, while the skirt, which was ankle length, was composed entirely of five picot edged scalloped circular frills, and the long tight sleeves had circular picot edged frilled cuffs in harmony. Her hat was of georgette to tone with uneven pointed dropping brim, having an eye veil of silver lace and floral mount. She carried a bouquet of pink carnations with silver ribbon and horseshoe attached."

1938

A  rather low key wedding for my parents John Weston and Kathleen Danson 

 at Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire

1942

A magnificent array of dresses for the wedding in New Jersey of Ruth A. Urtstadt  and Edward J. LInke -  the parents of my American third cousin Bonnie - descendants from my Rawcliffe family.

1946

A wintry austerity Britain in December 1946 when my uncle Charles Weston married his bride Vera.  I am the tiny shivering bridesmaid, dressed in dusky pink, and holding a big posy, with my elegant mother standing  behind.   

1971

The omens were not good on my wedding day on 24th July 1971. It poured down and we have no photographs taken outside; my husband Neil looks a bit shell shocked in this informal picture; and with the Tudor monarchs all the rage on film and TV at the time, I chose to wear an Ann Boleyn style headdress - she suffered the fate of being beheaded by Henry VIII.   Still we survived - and celebrated our Ruby (40th) wedding annviversary last year.  

Copyright © 2012 · Susan Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved

For other contributions on this week's s theme look at
http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/sepia-saturday-140-25-august-2012.html