A wedding frippery

I recently found out that the white wedding dress was an innovation of Queen Victoria. She didn't want to wear a heavy brocade gown and wore something lighter and more summery for her wedding. Somehow it become first the fashion and then the tradition to wear white. So the bride wearing white at a wedding is hardly a tenet of Western civilisation or indeed, even a very long tradition.

From The Royal Collection

A new exhibit on the history of the white wedding dress is opening at the Bendigo Art Gallery and the ABC recently featured a short piece on the collection. Here's the 5 minute news story on the exhibit. I especially enjoyed the Australian focus and the now-elderly bride who was so thrilled that her wedding dress made by her mother was included.

I also like the emphasis on the stories behind the dresses. For me, it is always about the stories.