Bridal Fashions – Spring 1847

Two women stand in a church. The woman on the left is in her bridal gown. A sheer lace veil is draped over her head which is decorated with white roses and green leaves. Her dress is white satin with an ornate lace bodice which has a narrow lace collar and comes to a point at the waist. The sleeves are long with a single bow at the lace cuff.

The skirt is embellished with several diagonal bands of lace extending from the center and ending with white bows. The woman on the right wears a light pink bonnet trimmed with white feathers and tied with wide pink ribbons. Her dress is hunter green with a hint of pink shimmer as it catches the light. The fabric is patterned with narrow black stripes which make a “V” shape on the bodice and run horizontally around the skirt. The front of the skirt is decorated with black trimmings which are fastened at three points to create two scallops. The women stand inside a church with a large glass arched Gothic window on the left.

A straight-backed wooden chair sits to the left of the bride. On the right side of the frame, a group of three men and one woman gather around a table and sign a book, probably the marriage register. One man wears a black bicorne hat, the minister wears a white jacket with a red stole, and the third ,am is dressed in a black jacket with a white shirt. The woman wears a white bonnet, a brown dress, and is wrapped in a blue shawl. There are two large crosses: one in front of the window and the other above the doorway.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges