Five years? FIVE YEARS?!!

Dave and I have been married for five years today! Happy anniversary Dave x

Rather than gush about married life I thought I would show you three generations of wedding dresses in my family – mine, my Mum’s and my Nan’s.

Now, they are both a little bit shy about me using their photographs so please be nice and don’t use them anywhere else (not sure why you would, but wanted to say it to set their minds at ease).

This is Dave and I five years ago.

We got married down in Sussex where we grew up, and it was a crisp blue winter’s day – lovely. I chose my dress because it was quite simple, just a plain white dress with an overlayer of chiffon, no meringues here! It was a pretend two piece, with buttons up the back. Instead of sparkles on the dress I went for sparkly jewelry.

Five years ago I don’t think I had really developed my own taste in clothes, and especially didn’t have such an interest in vintage clothes. If I was to choose a wedding dress now I think it would be quite different. I still felt very special in the one I did have though!

My Mum and Dad got married in 1980, and my Nan made her wedding dress. Doesn’t she look pretty!

Luckily Mum got married before Diana and her huge dress, otherwise my Nan could have been faced with quite a challenge! Although shoulderless dresses weren’t the fashion then, there are definitely similarities between mine and my Mums dresses. Both nice and simple.

When I went home the other day I tried Mum’s dress on and it was a perfect fit!

Wedding dresses in the late 1970s and 1980 moved on from the narrow, high-waisted empire line of the late 1960s to the more flared princess line. There was often little or no train, and the waist gradually fell to its natural position by 1980.

Princess Anne influenced brides in the 1970s with her fitted gown and extravagant sleeves.

Batwing sleeves also became popular, which is what my Mum had – as you can see from my expertly modeled pose!

My Nan and Grandad got married in 1949.

She too has a relatively plain and simple dress, but with the biggest veil of the three of us. And the flowers are huge!

1940s wedding dresses can be split in to two halves, during and after the war. During the war rationing restricted what could be made, and after the war longer dresses that used more fabric could be made. My Great Aunt got married a few years before my Nan, and wore a day outfit to her wedding due to scarce supplies.

The sweetheart neckline, wide shoulders and mutton sleeves were the predominant style of the 1940s. All of which my Nan had in her dress. She was telling me that her dress was actually made as a bridesmaids dress for a wedding she went to earlier in the year. As it was white, and things were still a bit scarce, she then wore it as her wedding dress as well.

It is also easy to see the influence that Queen Elizabeth’s dress had when she got married in 1947. It has the same neckline and silhouette as my Nan’s, and a long veil.

So that’s it – three generations of my family (and some of the Royal family!) and their wedding dresses. Thank you Mum and Nana for letting me use your photos – I am a very lucky girl to have you both.

Image & Info sources
http://www.dressfinder.com/history-wedding-dresses/
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-pictures/Comparing+the+Royal+gowns+of+the+past-latest.do?id=23381473&page=3
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/pictures/110428-royal-wedding-dress-kate-middleton-prince-william-gown-designed/
http://buyvintageweddingdress.com
http://mylusciouslife.com/StyleLeader/Knowyourfashionhistory.aspx