Before The Royal Wedding - The pre-Kate fairy tale wedding dresses and the unknown brides that wore them
Kate Middleton
not the first fairy tale princess bride
I was so happy when the future wife of Prince William appeared in that Grace Kelly - esque gown that captured all of the critical fashion buzz words; style, elegance..royalty...sophistication. Like the one worn by Grace herself, it will go down in history as one of the most beautiful wedding dresses ever made. I'll be honest, I never liked Diana's wedding dress - (is that blasphemy)? Yes, it was iconic and grand, but even in the 1980s, it was too over the top for me. But this wedding gown was perfection personified - It is much easier to design a dress with exaggerated opulence than to create one that is simply sublimely beautiful, well done Sarah Burton of the house of McQueen! But it got me thinking about brides...is Kate really that different from the millions of brides who walked down the aisles before her?
In my adventures as a vintage clothing dealer, I've seen my share of abandoned wedding photos. It's the single most powerful thing in the privacy of people's homes that makes me think the most about my own mortality. I've never understood why no one in the family is interested in keeping those images that represent of one of the most important days in a life. Sometimes it's because the departed couple doesn't have descendents, but most of the time, that's not the case. I always buy them..I have a huge box of them that I'm not sure what to do with. Yes, I claim they are for fashion research because I do sell vintage wedding gowns, after all, but to be honest, I think that's just an excuse to justify the obsession.
This 1920s wedding dress is one of my favorites, as is this little couple! I say little, not only because of their stature, but because they look about 14. Her bouquet is larger than she is! It's no wonder that vintage wedding gowns are often so small, they were made for teenagers! Her wedding veil so so exquisite! I think a lot about their thoughts on that day, and how their lives will be together. Will she have children, even though she is still a child herself? Will he be faithful? Will they laugh together or grow tired of each other? There's something sweet and genuine about this couple and I like to think they might have actually been in love and that their life together was a good one.
Here's another one that always captures my curiosity - and coincidentally, they are also a couple that is small in stature. Once again, her bouquet has taken on a life of its own! She looks terrified, maybe wondering why she's even doing this. I wonder if this was more of an arranged or convenient marriage. I could be wrong, but she looks almost angry. The other photos from this wedding were all the same, fearful, severe faces. She seems to be begging for someone out there, beyond the camera, to rescue her from her fate. Too dramatic? Maybe..but what do you think?
This couple had a very glamorous life together. They lived in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s and I have her exquisite silk wedding gown in my inventory. I can't bear to part with it yet, it is truly spectacular..but I will eventually have sell it. They were married in 1930 and were never able to have children, so they spent their lives showering attention on each other. The 1930s dresses, peignoirs, slips and nightgowns I acquired from her estate are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Her family speaks of her with such affection but remembers the infertility as a lifelong shadow of sadness over her life. I'd like it if she knew that people are still remembering her and how beautiful she looked in her gorgeous gown on her wedding day.
This couple also makes me wonder. I'm fascinated by them for some reason. It's not her 1930s wedding dress - (it's not that exceptional of a gown). Her bouquet is somewhat wild and out of the ordinary, but it's not that. Maybe it's the fact that she is so much taller, or that he seems so much smaller. It is he who looks terrified this time! How did those boy-child grooms become instant grown man-husbands? They took on the behaviors of men but still had little 12 year old boy hearts. Maybe not much has changed.
This couple brought in the 1950s with their wedding vows. Her applique organza wedding dress was affordable and store bought, but fit like a glove. Even though she didn't have a custom designed dress and even though their celebration was a relatively simple one, they were married for 65 years.
The early 1960s was the backdrop for this couple's "fairy tale" wedding. A tulle and lace pre-equal rights amendment bride with a feisty spirit. She looks happier than any of the brides in my photos. Other than the little flower girl, the ring bearer, and a couple of the groomsmen, this group is either deliriously happy or these photos were taken after a few dry martinis.
Well, that's just a small sample of the brides whose wedding photos I've adopted as if they were those of my own relatives! Though each of these brides didn't have a wedding as grand as that of William and Kate's, and weren't able to hire Sarah Burton or Helen Rose to design their gowns, they aren't that different. Like Kate, each one probably had a shaky hand and butterflies in her stomach as she walked down the aisle. Each one hopefully felt like a princess starring in her own fairy tale wedding and the father of each bride most likely shed a tear on that day. Yes, these photos beg the questions about the lives lived beyond the wedding day, and in doing so, they manage to take their own special royal place in history.
not the first fairy tale princess bride
I was so happy when the future wife of Prince William appeared in that Grace Kelly - esque gown that captured all of the critical fashion buzz words; style, elegance..royalty...sophistication. Like the one worn by Grace herself, it will go down in history as one of the most beautiful wedding dresses ever made. I'll be honest, I never liked Diana's wedding dress - (is that blasphemy)? Yes, it was iconic and grand, but even in the 1980s, it was too over the top for me. But this wedding gown was perfection personified - It is much easier to design a dress with exaggerated opulence than to create one that is simply sublimely beautiful, well done Sarah Burton of the house of McQueen! But it got me thinking about brides...is Kate really that different from the millions of brides who walked down the aisles before her?
In my adventures as a vintage clothing dealer, I've seen my share of abandoned wedding photos. It's the single most powerful thing in the privacy of people's homes that makes me think the most about my own mortality. I've never understood why no one in the family is interested in keeping those images that represent of one of the most important days in a life. Sometimes it's because the departed couple doesn't have descendents, but most of the time, that's not the case. I always buy them..I have a huge box of them that I'm not sure what to do with. Yes, I claim they are for fashion research because I do sell vintage wedding gowns, after all, but to be honest, I think that's just an excuse to justify the obsession.
This 1920s wedding dress is one of my favorites, as is this little couple! I say little, not only because of their stature, but because they look about 14. Her bouquet is larger than she is! It's no wonder that vintage wedding gowns are often so small, they were made for teenagers! Her wedding veil so so exquisite! I think a lot about their thoughts on that day, and how their lives will be together. Will she have children, even though she is still a child herself? Will he be faithful? Will they laugh together or grow tired of each other? There's something sweet and genuine about this couple and I like to think they might have actually been in love and that their life together was a good one.
Here's another one that always captures my curiosity - and coincidentally, they are also a couple that is small in stature. Once again, her bouquet has taken on a life of its own! She looks terrified, maybe wondering why she's even doing this. I wonder if this was more of an arranged or convenient marriage. I could be wrong, but she looks almost angry. The other photos from this wedding were all the same, fearful, severe faces. She seems to be begging for someone out there, beyond the camera, to rescue her from her fate. Too dramatic? Maybe..but what do you think?
This couple had a very glamorous life together. They lived in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s and I have her exquisite silk wedding gown in my inventory. I can't bear to part with it yet, it is truly spectacular..but I will eventually have sell it. They were married in 1930 and were never able to have children, so they spent their lives showering attention on each other. The 1930s dresses, peignoirs, slips and nightgowns I acquired from her estate are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Her family speaks of her with such affection but remembers the infertility as a lifelong shadow of sadness over her life. I'd like it if she knew that people are still remembering her and how beautiful she looked in her gorgeous gown on her wedding day.
This couple also makes me wonder. I'm fascinated by them for some reason. It's not her 1930s wedding dress - (it's not that exceptional of a gown). Her bouquet is somewhat wild and out of the ordinary, but it's not that. Maybe it's the fact that she is so much taller, or that he seems so much smaller. It is he who looks terrified this time! How did those boy-child grooms become instant grown man-husbands? They took on the behaviors of men but still had little 12 year old boy hearts. Maybe not much has changed.
This couple brought in the 1950s with their wedding vows. Her applique organza wedding dress was affordable and store bought, but fit like a glove. Even though she didn't have a custom designed dress and even though their celebration was a relatively simple one, they were married for 65 years.
The early 1960s was the backdrop for this couple's "fairy tale" wedding. A tulle and lace pre-equal rights amendment bride with a feisty spirit. She looks happier than any of the brides in my photos. Other than the little flower girl, the ring bearer, and a couple of the groomsmen, this group is either deliriously happy or these photos were taken after a few dry martinis.
Well, that's just a small sample of the brides whose wedding photos I've adopted as if they were those of my own relatives! Though each of these brides didn't have a wedding as grand as that of William and Kate's, and weren't able to hire Sarah Burton or Helen Rose to design their gowns, they aren't that different. Like Kate, each one probably had a shaky hand and butterflies in her stomach as she walked down the aisle. Each one hopefully felt like a princess starring in her own fairy tale wedding and the father of each bride most likely shed a tear on that day. Yes, these photos beg the questions about the lives lived beyond the wedding day, and in doing so, they manage to take their own special royal place in history.
Posted by DRESS at 5/2/2011 6:49 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: vintage wedding dress vintage wedding gown kate middleton sarah burton alexander mcqueen 1920s dress 1950s wedding dresses 1920s wedding dresses 1930s wedding dresses vintage dress vintage bride
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: vintage wedding dress vintage wedding gown kate middleton sarah burton alexander mcqueen 1920s dress 1950s wedding dresses 1920s wedding dresses 1930s wedding dresses vintage dress vintage bride
Once again, you made me cry! I also love old wedding photos and yours are awesome. I'm getting married in June and hope one day someone looks at my wedding photos and wonders about me!
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I agree about Diana's dress totally and I also loved Kate's! My favorite of your photos is the first one - beautiful!! The 20s were an beautiful time for brides!
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I loved this article! So interesting to see wedding gowns from all different eras!
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Loved the story! Also, I just saw you have a whole section of wedding dresses in the store now! Yay, more people should wear vintage, the dresses are so beautiful!
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I'm obsessed with vintage wedding dresses and I think you have some of the most beautiful ones I've seen! I also love your blog
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Love all of the vintage wedding dresses - I also wish I could buy the Yumi Katsura wedding dress on your website - it is outstanding!
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I cried when I read this - great photos too!
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