Todd Nesnick
History of Wedding Dresses
In times of Ancient Rome, the bride was dressed in a one-piece ensemble which was knotted around their waist with a girdle. Traditionally, this was done up by the mother of the bride, and only the woman’s husband was permitted to untie it.
Weddings weren’t always about love, it was often related to joining countries, families and so, it was a rather elaborate affair. The gowns were made from top quality fabric, with many layers and vibrant colors and were also a display of wealth and opulence.
The shift towards what we now consider to be a traditional white gown was first noted in 1840, when Queen Victoria elected to wear a white gown for her wedding. It was considered to showing wealth as most gowns of the time were blue.
In times of conflict, such as World Wars or unease and financial hardship during the Great Depression, many ladies simply wore their best dress, as a wedding dress basically wasn’t affordable or fundamentally attainable.
When more prosperous times came into fruition, the wedding gown returned. Some fashion changes in the next few decades were the white dress suit, smaller, thinner gowns with less layers, mini wedding dresses.
But what about the bridesmaids?
In ancient times, it was usually servants who tended to the bride. Bridesmaids were considered an aid to the bride and were required at attend to her every desire and whim.
These times were deeply superstitious and it was thought hat evil spirits were able to take away the bride or cause her harm. In an attempt to trick or confuse these spirits, the bridesmaids wore similar style and color dresses to the bride.
The Maid of Honor was thought to be the bride’s favorite, but also had great responsibility. The Maid of Honor was often placed in dangerous situations, as they were set the task of carrying the dowry for the bride.
The tradition of carrying a bouquet of flowers was initially due to ensuring the body odor of the bride and her maids as bathing then was not a frequent occurrence.
As time passed, it was frowned upon for the bridesmaids to out shine the bride. To counter this, they were often dressed in gloves, hats, fluffy dresses and other items to ensure they appeared less attractive than the bride.
In today’s times, bridesmaids and brides have many options and the bridesmaids not longer need to look frumpy and unattractive.
When it’s time to shop for you wedding dress
When you’re ready to shop for a dress, it can be daunting, but let it be fun. Take a bridesmaid, your mother or a close friend. Be wary about taking to many people with you, as some boutiques have strict limits as to how many guests a bride may bring.
A wedding dress marks a very special chapter in your life, a joining with your loved partner and a new chapter in your lives together.
Allow plenty of time between starting to shop for the perfect dress. The more tine, the better. This will allow a decent amount of time to gather together all the other attire to match the dress, and to order the dress and have serval fittings to alter the dress to suit your figure if required.
Eight to nine months is usually a good time. Allow to much time and you might find your taste in style changes and you may end up feeling regretful with your choice.
Be prepared to be asked to make an appointment. Some boutiques may have a policy on appointment only sessions, whilst others may not. Be aware that different venues may have varying policies.
Relax and be open minded. If you have a particular style in mind, it might look totally different once you try it on. The consultant will most likely provide you with several dress options to try on.
Be mindful that your wedding gown size may be bigger than your normal garments. This is dependent on where you wedding ensemble is designed and made from. Some countries sizing systems are quite different to ours, hence the variance in sizing.
You don’t to wear white. Mori Lee wedding dresses have many styles and colors of dresses for not just the bride, but the Maid of Honor, Mother of the Bride and bridesmaids too.
Don’t over extend yourself with too many bookings if you intend to visit more than one location. Allow time for lunch and rest.
Drink plenty of water and if you start to feel light headed or ill whilst trying on the dress, stop and let the consultant know.
When you’ve found THE dress
Once you’ve found your dress, you’ll need to put down a deposit. Generally, it’s approximately 50% – 60%.
Be prepared to wait for your dress. It may need to be ordered in or specially made. Allow up to nine months and in times such as Covid, possibly longer to locate your dream gown.
Your dress may need to be altered. Although the dress may be the right size and fit in certain areas, in others it may require some tweaking to ensure it fits as perfect as you want your day to be. Your wedding gown is ultimately specially tailored for your body, making it unique.
Be mindful that the alteration process can take longer than expected. This might be because parts of your gown may be very unique and in some instances, may require shipping in from various parts of the globe before coming together in wonderous harmony to make your beautiful gown.
Brides can have several fittings and your consultant will walk you through what is required for each visit. Expect at least three fittings, the first is six to eight weeks prior to your special day, the second four weeks and the lucky last two weeks before your day of union.
The final visit to the boutique is usually around one week prior to the event. This is when you’ll pay the remainder of your fees, including any monies for alterations.
Be patient. Be positive. It might be a stressful time, but your dress should be a moment of joy, even if it takes a few visits to get there.