Vintage Weddings Part 1: The Way We Were

I've got to admit that I'm a bit obsessed with Pinterest and Tumblr. The whole idea and momentum shift of these "social media curating" sites just gives me the vapours; any platform that allows for easy access to gorgeous, creative images, inspiration and ideas is going to be a big draw for me. This is especially true when the subject is weddings.

Last week, when putting together a write-up about Historical Themed Weddings, I spent a good long while obsessing over vintage weddings. I'm not just talking about vintage-themed weddings, I mean actual, for real old weddings. "What a great idea it would be," I thought, "to do a couple blog posts highlighting some of the aesthetics and features of vintage weddings."

And so I am.

*A Brief Disclaimer: Most of the images, inspiration, styles, expressions, ideas and aesthetics in these next couple posts come from eras where not a lot of freedoms were afforded to women (amongst others). Like most things steeped in history, weddings contain a lot of socio-cultural roots which are reflected in the traditions of the time. The celebration of and fawning over the aesthetics of these eras are in no way endorsements of the lack of suffrage, equality and freedom women had to endure during them. We've come a long way, and while we've still got a ways to go, hopefully an exploration and embracing of vintage styles can in some small way act as a "taking back" of classic aesthetics away from a context of oppression.

This image is the one that kicked it off for me: http://pinterest.com/pin/16044142392075489/

I was hopping Pinterest looking for some interesting pictures and came across this one; I was immediately entranced. It was the long gloves, the flowered neckline, the almost complete lack of skin, the early-century makeup and hairstyle--all of it that drew me in. As I began to explore other photographs from the 20's and 30's, I was struck by how closely tied to their times they were.

As it turns out, since the 70's, wedding gown fashion has undergone something of a de-evolution; brides back in the day tended to wear styles that reflected the fashions of their day. As was the style of the time, these 1920's brides seen to the left are rocking the flapper style, not only in their dresses (short fronts), but also in their hair and accessories.

As the decadence of the 20's gave way to the depression of the 30's which gave way to World War 2 which then lead into the baby boom, wedding dresses and ceremonies took a turn to the "traditional" and began to harken back to the Victorian-era. Long, elegant and lavish gowns became the rage, and that style has remained largely unchanged to this day.

Regardless of current style, I thought I would quickly mention why white is the colour of choice--even at vintage weddings. By the 20's it was already tradition to wear white, a tradition which wedding historians agree can be traced back to none other than…Queen Victoria again. In their 1840 ceremony, blushing bride Alexandrina bucked the traditions of her time and was, "dressed all in white with white roses"1 (Her Majesty and Prince Philip also apparently had a 300lb. cake that "measured three yards in circumferance"2, but I digress). Since everyone wanted to be Queen Victoria, brides began flocking to white dresses in order to emulate the style of the biggest wedding of the day. Think William and Kate, but 1840 and an even bigger deal (or, if you're a bit older and remember Princess Diana and Prince Charles, you'll recall how every bride wanted Diana's dress, too).

That wraps up our history lesson for today! Stay tuned: In Part 2 we'll look at Vintage styles now, and how to get the old-timey look!