You may recognise this beauty: the darling girl who regularly models my vintage wedding dresses…

Patience in original 1960s wedding dress.

Well, it seems my model comes from an illustrious line of society beauties! Aided by her lovely mother Rose, she recently raided the family archives – and uncovered a remarkable history of fabulous vintage wedding fashion… 

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Great–Grandmother Fanny, January 1888

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Great–Grandmother Fanny, Canterbury 1888

I’m delighted that the family has agreed we can share these gorgeous photos – many of which are from original wedding announcements in The Times, some even illustrated by hand from the days before photography!

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

So here it is: the family treasure-trove of vintage wedding dress fashion – going back almost 150 years! Captioned in red are the brides from the maternal lineage, and in blue her paternal line. Can you trace the likeness…?

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

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great-Great-Grandmother Gladys’ wedding, June 1904

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Apphia in beautiful honeymoon outfit

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

Miss Irene’s ‘wedding gown and bridesmaids’ toilettes’ from The Times, 1910

Sir Walter’s engagement to Miss Gladys, from The Times “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…”

Miss Gladys’s ‘wedding dress and travelling costume and bridesmaids’ toilette’  from The Times

The wedding of Miss Irene to Mr F A Atchison, from The Times, 1910

125 Years of Vintage Wedding Dresses: Great–Grandmother Georgina in Edwardian silk dress

125 Years of Wedding Dresses: Patience’s Great–Grandmother… No, she didn’t marry in tennis whites! In a romantic twist worthy of  Downton Abbey, this thoroughly modern lady married in secret!