when did you marry&what was your dress like?

Blue suede shoes?

I got married in the late 70s in December, so didn't want to freeze, unlike today's brides who seem to be determined to be half naked no matter how cold it is. So I had a thick winter white cotton lace fitted blouse with lots of little pearl buttons, really beautiful lace, I wish I had kept it. Over that I had a long suit with a big full skirt that flared from the hips, in thick winter white crepe. Also a shortish very fitted jacket. I could do up the top button across under the collar if it was very cold. (It did snow that evening) White leather boots, a bit Victorian. I suppose the whole outfit was vaguely Victorian. I had my hair long and loose and ringletty (it's curly anyway) and clipped back at the temples with pearl barrettes. Pearl necklace and brooch.

Wedding no2 saw me in a silk chiffon embroidered knee length skirt, pale coffee coloured from Monsoon nine years ago. I do still have it but it's a 16 unlike the previous 10 that was the equivalent of today's 8, so I suppose I am double the size! The top was a crinkled lace in the same colour, it was a very hot day so I never got to use the matching jacket. Beautiful kitten heeled shoes with crystals and things embroidered all over them, and matching bag. Hair long and straightened.

If I wore my hair long and straightened now, 9 years on, I would look dreadful.

1963, at Bury registry office.

I wore a lemon two piece, box pleated skirt and plain jacket with three quarter sleeves. White sleeveless blouse underneath, white shoes, handbag and gloves, white silk flower pinned in the back of my hair, and a necklace of white beads. Hubby wore his only suit (grey) which had been to the dry cleaners, white shirt borrowed from his brother, black socks and burgundy tie borrowed from another brother, and black shoes bought new a few months earlier and put aside for the wedding. Reception in the front room of the house we were going to be living in, his family sitting down one side, mine down the other, nobody speaking!

1968

I wanted a small low key wedding and had it. I wore a plain white courtelle minidress, high military neck, long sleeves, tight into waist and slightly flared skirt. I wore my long hair tied back in a white snood and wore sheer white tights and black patent shows. I carried a tight Victorian bouquet of snow drops (my wedding was in February).

My going away outfit consisted of a primrose yellow, and quite expensive wool coat had bought the previous year put on over my wedding dress.

We are still married and I was not pregnant (as several nasty minded relatives who were not asked to the wedding suggested)

Reading all these posts and remembering all the frantic sewing that went on whenever there was a wedding in the family makes me smile. We could certainly teach today's young people a thing or two about how to have a lovely wedding on a budget!

I did, however, buy my own dress as I was not living at home and found it difficult to do much sewing myself at the time. It came from Pophams in Plymouth (and is still in the attic somewhere 47 years later.)

Oxford Register Office, 50 years ago this month. White linen suit, very silly hat. Suit creased horribly!

Congratulations on your Golden Wedding Anniversary, Lilygran and Mr Lilygran!

First time round, the only dress I really liked was in red. My mother was horrified so I ended up with a knee length cream chiffon dress with a juliet cap and short veil.
2nd time round I visited nearly every dress shop in the North west and then walked into a local boutique and there hanging up was a perfect silky suit in bright red and white with a sailor type white collar. It's still hanging up in wardrobe although I doubt I'll ever fit in it again but it was perfect for me. Just like my DH, bless! x

Yes happy Golden Wedding to the Lilygrans! I got married in 1978 and wore a long white chiffony empire line dress and had my hair piled high together with a false topknot under my veil as I'm only 4'10" and I married into a tall family and didn't want to look stupid in the photos! I must have done something right as we've just celebrated our 36th anniversary.

1983 - cream chiffon

1991 -red silk

1973, I wore an Empire line cream dress, silk and chiffon with a square neck banded with two two velvet edges in brown and taupe. I made it MiceElf and I made the bridesmaids dresses too from Laura Ashly fabric, a little sprigged print in cream and brown. It cost 35 pence a yard and ma tante Henriette said it was a scandalous price.

My best friend was the grown up bridesmaid and she couldn't afford new shoes so she wore her clogs. Her mother was appalled! I still have a happy memory of her Mum saying (you have to imagine a strong Liverpool accent) Oh, our D I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd watch my daughter following a bride down the aisle in her clogs'.

My dress ended up in the dressing up box too.

Yes Galen blue suede shoes, not in homage to Elvis though, he was more of a Deep Purple/Yes fan in those days.

1982 An ivory lacy (nylon) below the knee dress with lacy jacket from Debenhams sale and the obligatory 80s perm! A friend made silk flower headdress and silk bouquet which I still have - dress disintegrated
My MIL made lilac flowery bridesmaids dresses and crocheted us all shawls. One of our bridesmaids, who now lives in the USA, has recently found her dress and her daughter is wearing it for dressing up!!
Yes it was all done on a budget and did our marriage no harm!!

1954 aged 19 white velvet dress and bridesmaids wore red velvet 4 of them 2 page boys in white maried for 4o years till he died and I still miss him every day

1958, Registry office. I wore a navy-blue and white suit with a small navy-blue hat. Budget wedding, only 4 guests. Reception was coffee and biscuiits on a train.

1977 .... I wore a full-length cream Jean Varon dress that had a navy blue ribbony detail at the square neckline and cape-like thing that encompassed the sleeves.

My new husband managed to burn a hole in it with a cigarette!

This is a lovely thread

So many 60s chicks in mini-dresses and daises!

April 1970, I'd taken a friend with me to choose the dress in Nairobi. It was white crepe, empire line with trumpet sleeves and appliquéed roses on the bodice. So modest compared with the ones worn today almost all of which seem to be strapless. They make the brides look cold (or is it 'cool'?) even on a warm day. No bridesmaid - I had so many single colleagues that I couldn't choose and my sisters couldn't make it to Kenya for the occasion.

February, 1973. I had an Edwardian-style white Nottingham lace square-necked long dress with long-cuffed sleeves, a chiffon and lace picture hat, carried a bouquet of lily of the valley, white sandals and sheer white stockings. The vicar said I looked like I'd stepped out of a punt on the river at the turn of the century (I assume that was a compliment). My bridesmaids were hippy-dippy in empire line blue flowered long dresses, and little nephew had a cute blue velvet suit. I think I sent the dress to a charity shop when I got divorced.

June 1974 White Broderie Anglaise, very simple A line with HUGE puff sleeves, I made it myself (and the 3 bridesmaids dresses). There were 30 little buttons down the back and Mum and I spent hours covering the buttons in the dress material.... A close fitting cap with a short veil and pearl white platform sandals from Dolcis. I needed the platforms, my DH was 8in taller than me.
Then in 1995 I altered it for my daughter to wear, removed the sleeves and set in lace sleeves (made from net curtain material!)
Then it was cut down into a little dress for my first GD....we got our wear out of it.

Just added pics of the 2 dresses on my profile....

1965 - I was 19 and our DD was three months old.

Pale pink slub silk dress and coat, bought in a sale!

We were married in the church where my grandparents and parents had been married - mainly to try to calm everyone down. DH's parents wouldn't come. Tiny reception at my parents' house - all very, very, low key.

But here we are, 49 years on.

Register office in Gibraltar, 1968. Skirt and T shirt. No guests. Two register office workers acted as witnesses. Wedding ring from bought from a tobacconist shop. I was 21 and my husband was 22.

August 1971: high necked Edwardian style white dress in satin dupion with Guipure lace trims. A 'crown' of fresh flowers on my head that my mum insisted on attaching a veil to almost as I was leaving the house!! Sling back white patent shoes with small square heel. Bridesmaid (1 adult) wore a cotton floral print. We both carried a 'pomander' of flowers!!

DH wore black velvet which contrasted well with his flowing red hair!!

We should have put this on the 'picture 'thread!

There is a picture thread on this topic, Penstemmon - go on, post a photo!

www.gransnet.com/forums/pictures/1208333-Wedding-Dresses