You may recognise this beauty: the darling girl who regularly models my vintage wedding dresses…
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| Patience in original 1960s wedding dress. |
Well, it seems my model comes from an illustrious line of society beauties! Aided by her lovely mother Rose, she recently raided the family archives – and uncovered a remarkable history of fabulous vintage wedding fashion…
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Great–Grandmother Fanny, January 1888 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Great–Grandmother Fanny, Canterbury 1888 |
I’m delighted that the family has agreed we can share these gorgeous photos – many of which are from original wedding announcements in The Times, some even illustrated by hand from the days before photography!
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Fanny & The Wedding Party, 1888 |
So here it is: the family treasure-trove of vintage wedding dress fashion – going back almost 150 years! Captioned in red are the brides from the maternal lineage, and in blue her paternal line. Can you trace the likeness…?
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia Elizabeth’s engagement photo, 1904 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great-Great-Grandmother Gladys’ wedding, June 1904 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Apphia in beautiful honeymoon outfit |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia, 1904 |
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| Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia, 1904 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia, 1904 |
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| Miss Irene’s ‘wedding gown and bridesmaids’ toilettes’ from The Times, 1910 |
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| Sir Walter’s engagement to Miss Gladys, from The Times “Each bridesmaid was attired in a Romney costume of white muslin, with belts of pale blue silk, a fichu of white muslin being draped round the shoulders and caught in front with a single La France rose…” |
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| Miss Gladys’s ‘wedding dress and travelling costume and bridesmaids’ toilette’ from The Times |
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| The wedding of Miss Irene to Mr F A Atchison, from The Times, 1910 |
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125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses:
Great–Grandmother Georgina in Edwardian silk dress |
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| 125 Years of Wedding Dresses: Patience’s Great–Grandmother… No, she didn’t marry in tennis whites! In a romantic twist worthy of Downton Abbey, this thoroughly modern lady married in secret! |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great Aunt Apphia in beautiful high-necked satin dress, 1961 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great Aunt Apphia in 1961 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great Aunt Apphia and page boy, Patience’s Uncle! |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great Aunt Jennifer, married 1962 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Grandmother Lisa, stunning in 1950s duchesse satin. |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Mother Rose, pretty in classic 80s peach, 1984 |
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| 125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: The story continues… Gorgeous Patience models an original 1950s cotton lace dress. |
I’m secretly hoping that one day I’ll feature the next generation of weddings from this fabulous clan. Big thanks to Patience and her family for sharing their story – what a wonderful group of ladies!
