From Wedded Bliss, A Victorian Bride's Handbook. This shows how many of the customs practiced in the Regency were still prevelent all the way up to the turn-of-the-century...Here are a few jots about the Bridal Veil & Gown
Posted by P. Bingham on January 17, 1998 at 15:09:52:
From Wedded Bliss, A Victorian Bride's Handbook. This shows how many of the customs practiced in the Regency were still prevelent all the way up to the turn-of-the-century...
1. Mamma came before and brought me a nosegay of orange flowers, I wore a white satin gown with a very deep flounce of Honiton lace, imitation of old. I wore my Turkish diamond necklace and earrings, and Albert's beautiful sapphire brooch. Queen Victoria in her journal, Feb 10, 1840
2. The traditional attire for a bride is a white satin gown of rich quality - or silk - the skirt plain, with graceful sweeping train. It is trimmed with lace and orange blossoms simply or eleborately, according to the taste or means of the wearer, and the veil of tulle or rich lace is held in place by a wreath or spray of orange blossoms. A wealthy bride is privileged to wear a tiara for the first time on her wedding day, it not being a jewel appropriate to girlhood. Diamond starts of graduating sizes, made detachable for wearing in other ways, is the favorite form of the diadem. The bride sometimes wears her veil over her face as she goes up the eisle, but returning it thrown back, showing her happy face to the world. Mrs. Burton Kingsland, Etiquette for All Occasions, 1901.
3. The bride wore white satin brocade in silver with full train and V-shaped corsage. The entire gown was veiled in old point de Venice, whicvh was worn by her mother and grandmother on their wedding days. The veil of the same lace was held by orange blossoms and a diamond tiara. She held a silver prayer-book set with jewels.
The bride wore a large diamond star, the gift of the bridegroom, pearl necklace, with diamond clasp and pendant, the gift of the bridegroom's sister, bar pin of seven diamonds on the front of the corsage, the gift of the bridegroom's mother.
She carried a bouquet composed of five bunches of roses, in one of which was hidden a ring, in accordance with a pretty superstition that the bridesmaid securing the bouquet with the ring will first of all become herself a bride.
The bride, a petite brunette, wore an exquisite gown of white faille francaise draped with duchesse lace and a long moire antique train.
Demsey & Carroll, Wedding Etiquette, 1889.
4. No prettier arrangement of flowers was ever made than in the form of the "shower bouquet" for the bride, an English custom... a falling train of roses...with trailing ribbons hidden beneath the flowers fall down to the hem of the gown... Adelaide Gordon, Correct Social Usage, 1903
5. Mother & I went over the river to do some shopping, bought me wedding dress. It is plain Swiss muslin. I wanted whaite satin but could not have it so concluded to pass for beauty unadorned. After all I wish I could stand up in my every day frock sometimes without a fuss.
Sarah Elizabeth Jewell, In her Diary, July 15, 1841.
Here some men stuff...
Most bridegrooms would, from the fullness of their hearts, pay for everything connected with the comming event, but this would offend the delicasy of the bride and her friends. There is a law of etiquette concerning this, as all other matters. He should not fail to send the wedding bouquette to the bride, on the morning of the ceremony. he also should present the bride with some sort of jewelry. He should pay the clergyman's fee, bouquets to the brides'maids, scarf-pins, canes, sleeve buttons, or any other little rememberance which his ingenuity may suggest, to the groomsmen. Annie Randall White, Twentieth centry Etiqette, 1900.
The carriage
The happy cortege should proceed in the following order, In the first carriage, the bride's mother and the parents of the bridegroom. In the second and the third the bridesmaids. other carriages with the bride's friend, In the last carriaeg, the bride and her father...
Nugent Robinson, Collier's Encyclopedia, 1883.
What about the groom? What happened to the groom?
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