Cumbrian Weddings6
Box fresh is best for dress
YOU have probably spent more on your wedding
dress than you have ever spent on one item of
clothing and you've dreamed about wearing it.
But what do you do with it once your special
day is over?
Rather than keep it, some brides may decide
to sell their dress but either way you will
probably want to have it cleaned and you should
do this immediately. Even colourless liquids or
perspiration on the dress can develop into
permanent yellow or brown marks.
Some dry cleaning shops offer a special bridal
gown service and may even pick up and return
it to your home, or a family member could get it
dry cleaned while you are on your honeymoon.
Some dry cleaners may pack your dress in a
wedding box, but before parting with it, check to
see if insurance is offered in the price and
whether there is a policy if the dress is damaged
or lost.
Once your dress has been dry cleaned, it is
important to store it correctly. Yellowing can be
caused by storing the dress in a box which is not
pH neutral and mildew occurs if a dress is kept
in a plastic gown bag.
You should keep your dress out of sunlight to
avoid fading and avoid fluctuations in
temperature. Allowing dust to build up on it will
also mark your gown.
If you keep your dress on a hanger that can
strain the seams and change its shape so you
should store it folded in layers of acid-free tissue
paper in a box. Take it out a couple of times a
year to help avoid creases forming permanently
� or to bring back happy memories of the day.
From togas to tulle there
is a wealth of inspiration
W
hile we may now
associate the
colour white, or a
shade of it, as the
traditional colour
for weddings, the history of the
wedding dress shows that this
was not always the case.
In Roman times, white robes
were worn as a tribute to Hyman,
the god of fertility and marriage
while in ancient Egypt and
Greece, white was also worn.
However, this hasn't always
been the case � in the past 2,000
years only rich families could
afford to get married in white.
It was much more practical for
brides from average families to
wear different colours.
They very often chose to wear
their `Sunday best', because they
could then wear the dress on
many other occasions.
In the 1500s and 1600s most
people couldn't afford to have a
dress made for them but royalty
could afford this luxury and the
first officially-documented royal
bride wearing white was Anne of
Brittany, who married Louis XII
of France in 1499.
In the 18th century, brides wore
fabrics in red and silver tones
while in 1840 Queen Victoria, who
was often a trend-setter, wore a
white gown with an 18ft train.
By the 1870s and 1880s white
dresses were starting to become
more popular although it was still
common for less wealthy brides to
wear their `Sunday best'.
The 1920s was an innovative
time in fashion and Coco Chanel
came to prominence and
introduced the first knee-length
wedding gown.
The 1950s was a period of
prosperity and this was reflected
in the wedding gowns. Dresses
became bigger and more
elaborate.
The 1980s were dominated by
the wedding of Lady Diana
Spencer to the Prince of Wales in
1981 and her fairytale ballgown
with its huge ruched sleeves,
while the 1990s saw a move
Bridal outfits
through the
ages reflected
the interests
of the times
Care: Protect your wedding dress
towards a sleeker and simpler
style of dresses.
The present trends are endless.
White and its various shades
are still popular but other colours,
such as red and gold are also
options.
Celebrities tend to go for the
more unconventional wedding
dress, with Sex and the City
actress Sarah Jessica Parker
getting married in black, singer
Gwen Stefani in pink and Katie
Price's pink satin corseted dress
with a full tulle skirt when she
married Peter Andre.
Fairytale princess: The dress which Lady Diana Spencer chose for her 1981 marriage to the
Prince of Wales created a movement for traditional outfits
Trend-setter: Queen Victoria
wore white for her wedding
Individual: Gwen Stefani
married in pink
WEDDING DRESS DIRECTORY: PAGES 14 & 16
Meet the wedding planners plus a
whole host of wedding specialists.
Great ideas will inspire you.
Invitation to award
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