A Model Family Part 2 – Victorian to Edwardian wedding style.

Dear Reader,
In our last post, we started a thread of fabulous and historic wedding photographs from the family of Patience (who you can see modelling my own Heavenly Collection of vintage–inspired wedding dresses). 

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses:
Fanny & The Wedding Party, 1888

This elegant 1888 Victorian wedding of Fanny, Patience's own Great–Great–Grandmother (above) is where we began. Now let's roll the clock forward to the next generation of society brides in wonderful Victorian and Edwardian wedding dresses...

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses:
Great-Great-Grandmother Gladys' wedding, June 1903

You may notice some of the captions are in red (for Patience's maternal lineage) and some in blue (for her paternal line). It's fun to trace the likeness down the generations…

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses:
Gladys in beautiful honeymoon outfit, 1903

Gladys' wedding to Walter, from The Times 1903
“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...”

Gladys’ "wedding dress and travelling costume and bridesmaids’ toilette" 
from The Times 1903

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses:
Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia Elizabeth's engagement photo, 1904

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses:
Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia, 1904

Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia, 1904

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses:
Great–Great–Grandmother Apphia, 1904

The wedding of Great–Great–Great Aunt Irene to Francis, 
from The Times 1910

Great–Great–Great Aunt Irene’s "wedding gown and bridesmaids’ toilettes" 
from The Times, 1910

Don't forget to check back soon for the next instalment in this fascinating history of a remarkable family. I have some wonderful images from the 1930s to today to show you!

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

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Can't be happy ALL the time...

Dear Reader,
Ah, Autumn Mondays... Hallowe'en parties are all finished, the fireworks gone up in smoke, and Christmas is still a long way off. Well, forgive me if you've seen this before, but it made me laugh out loud (quite a few times, actually) and I thought you might enjoy it too…



And of course, actress Donna Reed's adorable 1940s chiffon dress is a perfect excuse for sharing it here... as if I needed one! The dress is by Oscar-winning costume designer Edward Stevenson. The film is - of course - the Christmas classic It's A Wonderful Life. 

Pop back later this week for more lovely vintage wedding fashion.
Love
Helena 
Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you like this post try…
Fabulous Fifties Eyewear!

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Vintage Wedding Dresses at the Movies: my Top Three unveiled!

Dear Reader,
What fun I've had truffling through these wonderful old movies to find my very favourite vintage wedding dresses! And now I'm delighted to share my Top 3...

3. It Happened One Night (starring Claudette Colbert, 1934)

Never seen this wonderful 1930s screwball comedy by Frank Capra? Seek it out - you have such a treat in store!

The charming Claudette Colbert wears a slinky satin 1930s wedding dress by Robert Kalloch, one of the biggest Hollywood trendsetters of the 30s and 40s.

And there's that lovely Juliet Cap veil again! In this case, full length and swirling around the base of her gown... fabulous! I am so inspired by these pretty veils at the moment. A lovely addition to my Top 3.

2. Funny Face (starring Audrey Hepburn, 1957)
In this 1950s musical, Audrey is actually modelling the dress, rather than getting married. 

This gorgeous gown is one of Audrey's most iconic looks - a perfect blend of 1950s modern and romantic, with its ballerina-length net skirt, slim-fitting bodice, and the chic boat neckline Audrey always favoured. I love too the pretty veil, fastened with its tiny bow...

The dress was designed by Hubert De Givenchy who was working on the film with Edith Head - another of the all-time-great costume designers. Givenchy had given Audrey many of his gowns to wear in her earlier film Sabrina. When Head won the Best Costume Design Oscar for Sabrina, Givenchy never received proper credit. So Audrey went out of her way to see that he received full credit on Funny Face. She and the designer became lifelong friends. 

1. The Razor's Edge (starring Gene Tierney, 1946)
And finally... my number one is.... drum roll... the wonderful actress Gene Tierney swathed in head-to-toe 1940s lace wedding dress by Oleg Cassini.

Gene was engaged to Russian-born costumer designer Cassini, and he designed this glorious dress for their own wedding. But her parents opposed the marriage and in a romantic twist, they eloped. So Gene wore the dress for her film instead!

Sadly, the film was panned by the critics. But the dress... I think you'll agree is a perfect success! 

So there it is: my very favourite vintage wedding dresses from the movies. I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed choosing them. Please do stop by my facebook page and let me know which of your favourites I've missed!

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you missed the rest of my Top Ten Vintage Wedding Dresses from the Movies, check it out 

Here...!

And here...!

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Vintage Wedding Dresses at the Movies: the countdown continues...

Dear Reader,
Here we are... the second instalment in my Top 10 vintage wedding dresses from the movies. So many glorious gowns to choose from!

7. High Society (starring Grace Kelly, 1956)
Another fabulous dress by Helen Rose, one of the great Hollywood costume designers of the 1940s and 1950s. First, take a look at the designer's original sketch...

And now, at the dress itself... Perfection!

Aside from her Hollywood costumes, Helen Rose is of course most famous for designing Grace Kelly's own iconic wedding dress. What a beauty.

6. The Godfather (Simonetta Stefanelli as Appollonia, 1972)
The Godfather includes two gorgeous wedding dress scenes. Appollonia's demure head-to-toe lace dress for the simple Sicilian country wedding is my favourite. (And one of my favourite movie wedding scenes too.)

5. The movies of screen goddess, Billie Dove (1920s)
Stunning beauty Billie Dove started as a Ziegfeld Follies girl at the age of 14, and went on to become one of the biggest stars of silent film. So many of her glamorous 1920s dresses would be wonderful for a wedding... 

Some of Billie's films are lost now, so it's hard to choose a favourite. She played a bride in at least two movies. Would it be cheating to include all Billie's gorgeous dresses in my Top 10?

And remember the Juliet cap veils we were thinking about last week, here she is in a stunning example...

At the height of her fame, Billie was more popular than even Greta Garbo. Jazz singer Billie Holliday is said to have named herself after her. Let's remember her with these beautiful images.

4. Come Dance with Me (starring Brigitte Bardot, 1959)

And my last choice for today? La Bardot wearing a classic late 1950s lace wedding dress in this silly French movie...

I've had so much fun choosing. Do check back to see my Top 3, and post your own favourites on my facebook page here. And to enjoy lots more lovely original vintage dresses, click here.

Thanks for looking

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

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1930s Wedding Dresses, the Decade of Glamour

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