Wedding dresses

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Thank you Maw, he was over 6ft tall, and I was (still am) 5ft nothing. I must say you looked lovely, and Paw was very dashing!

Married in 1970 aged 20 and 23 respectively. Much too young but still together. Dress was cut up to make DD christening dress in 1984, to be used again for DGD next week. DD wore my veil too, but not surprisingly rejected the sparkly headpiece.?

This is such a lovely thread You all look absolutely beautiful with such stunning dresses, it’s fascinating to watch the fashions change over the years.

Mine was made by a friend who made the costumes for one of the major theatres here - it was gorgeous (at least I thought so!). Cream dupion silk with a scoop neck and lace bodice, a full skirt with a train and little buttons down the back. Very simple for the mid nineties.
We got engaged after six weeks , married a year later and next year will be our silver wedding. MiL and FiL got engaged after a long weekend () and were together for nearly 50 years before he died.

An earlier poster asked about lucky tokens being given e.g. black cats.
I was given a large (toy!) black cat which when wound up played the wedding march. Still works when I clamber up in the loft and wind it up for a burst of nostalgia.

That is so sweet BlueSapphire. You look so petite beside him!

Oh my goodness, how did I miss this thread? It is lovely and I have so enjoyed looking at your lovely wedding dresses. Mine was 1972, dress from Pronuptia in London, and cost £25. Dresses were very demure in those days. DH died last year.

Sorry Bellasnana was you grandmother not great grandmother

Like Bellasnana ( coincidence I am also a Bella’s nana) second marriage 1971 for me already had two little ones to get back to, so quick do in registry office and dress and shoes bought on the quick from Walthamstow market. Still had nice do at home afterwards that everyone seemed to enjoy. Loved your great grans dress Bellasnana

maryhoffman37. Love it! ?

Laura Asley, £6, 1972. Colour: brown!

annsixty you had the most beautiful wedding dress... and so happy.

In my opinion - best dressed/striking groom is Maw’s husband. My favourite bride’s outfit is Dragonfly. Lady in red and a rebel! ❤️

I am so very touched by the number of you who have posted or messaged me about my dress. Everyone in their photos looks so lovely as a bride, maybe mine just stood out because it was the "real thing." I'll try to post another photo of the scalloped edging.
Thank you Gransnetters. I'm very new to this group and finding such a lovely group of people has made my day!

Ellianne, your dress is beautiful and timeless. I thought I was replying to you but it goes in the general comments!

So beautiful. Timeless too

I agree tillybelle

Weren't we all beautiful and marrying such handsome men.

I didnt give a thought as to whether it would last or not. I just knew I really wanted to be with dh. On occasions I have thought it might not last!!! But, here we are almost 49 years, 5 children, 9 grandchildren, some tears and lots of laughter later.

It's quite scary to think about how unaware I was. Do others think that?

Ann, your photo is lovely, and the dress was beautiful. Were you really as demure as you look in that photo?

annsixty. You are such a blessing to GNet! I know it's not long since your DH passed and although you had a good long marriage, the other side of that is, you were together for so much of your life - indeed all your adult life. It must be so very strange without him.

I can only say, in the hope that it might comfort those who are grieving, that I once nearly died and I had the chance to learn that we do live on! Our spirit goes out of our body and we go to loved ones who know us and who love us. I am sure you will be together again.

To all of you who are thinking of your departed DH as you think of your Wedding, I send love and very best wishes that you receive comfort in your hearts in those moments when you feel alone. ????

Thank you for your tender and lovely posts annsixty?

Patticake123. I may be able to beat you on the price of the veil! Not that we are competing ha ha!

I was not sure what veils were meant to be like so I went to Harvey's in Guildford and to the Bridal Room. I had planned to look at them on my own but they weren't hanging up for show like in a normal clothes department! It was not a minute before I had these two lovely middle aged ladies fussing around me bringing out veils.... So into the booth go I to try them....
The ladies were a bit too ever-present. My whole scheme was to look at the stitching etc and investigate the inner workings of these objects. The only way to get the opportunity to do this unnoticed was to keep the ladies busy! So I sent them off, feeling a little bit guilty, after all I was getting married in Church and I should be good.... but off they'd go climbing ladders to reach boxes with their little fat legs rasping together like the people in Chiggley. (or Trumpton?)..

Eventually I had the "intel" I needed. Putting on a sad face I said I would have to come back with my mother, I simply could not tell which would work with the dress....

They were so kind, so understanding...

The shop was almost closing! I rushed round the corner to haberdashery, to the kitchen net curtain department, grabbed a roll of the finest of the kitchen curtain net (it was still a lot coarser than the veils upstairs) and paid about 2/- a yard for it!

Footnote:
When I was deciding how long to cut it, my mother being useless (say no more), I was on my own. So I put it on, over my jeans, walked a step or two and threw the scissors down behind me on it. I cut it in a wavy line where the scissors landed.

A lovely thread. Thanks everyone, I’d include my own photo if I only knew how. My dress c1973 was very similar to many of them here. High neck, long sleeves, very modest compared to nowadays. I think it cost £25.00 and the veil was 19/11. Happy days!

My H and I were just 22 and 21 and yes we were just kids.When I look at my GC who are no way ready for marriage I just cringe.
But we made over 60 years with no serious problems.
Maybe we knew it was forever with no way out, we surmounted the hurdles and got on with it.

I bought my dress and jacket from the Mail Order company I was working for (a friend let me use her staff discount as she got 25% and I only got 12.5%) I made a skullcap of white silk flowers, no veil.

Oh god Willow500 you both look such babies. Only 17y! We’re you scared? Maybe the optimism of youth just carried you through.

Congratulations on your long and happy marriage.
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What lovely photos and stories. My 1971 registry office wedding was the day after my 17th birthday (a month after my husband's) and I was pregnant so no white wedding for us. I had a pink dress and coat with black patent shoes hurriedly bought with my mum in Scarborough - I wore it several times later but it was made of very strange stiff thick material. My husband's brown corduroy suit was bought by his mum from her catalogue . Here we are running up to 50 years even though they said it would never last!

My parents were married in 1948 and had 63 wonderful years together. Mum made her wedding trousseau from parachute silk. For some reason the wedding photographer tried to touch up my dad's eye and made a real mess of it which was a shame. I still have her horseshoe.