Friday 12 December 2014

My Mother's Wedding Dress

In the 1970s, my parents were fairly trendy.  I have seen the photos of my Dad in Elvis-like sunglasses, and my Mum in bell-bottoms and huge floppy hats.  They extended their trendy tastes to their wedding outfits, with my Dad wearing a blue suit, and my Mum wearing a maxi dress with matching hat.

My Mother's 1977 Wedding Dress


The dress was bought from a shop in Bristol, though my mother can't remember what it was called, and there's no label in the dress.  She wore white platform sandals, a white floppy hat (which she no longer has), and carried a small bouquet of yellow flowers that matched the flowers on her hat, and those on top of the wedding cake.

My Mother's 1977 Wedding Dress

My Dad had a lot of wear out of his suit, and eventually it had to be thrown out.  He still has the tie though!

A note for storing your heirloom wedding dresses: those plastic covers are not a good idea!  They can cause the fabric to 'sweat', promoting the growth of mildew.  This is what had happened to my Mum's dress, and it was covered in unsightly brown spots.  Fortunately, as it is polyester, the marks came out with a good soak in the bath and some Vanish soap.  If the fabric had been silk, it probably would have been ruined.

And now the fun bit - I tried on the dress!  Excuse the dim photo, it was horrible outside so we were forced to stand in the hallway.

My Mother's 1977 Wedding Dress

I actually felt more 'Princess Leia' than '70's bride' in it, and had to check the release date of Star Wars in the UK to see if the dress could possibly have been influenced by it, but the film didn't come out until 7 months after my parent's wedding, so it's just coincidence and probably more of a reflection of '70s fashions being used in the film rather than fashions being influenced by the film.

What do you think about 1970's bridal looks?



18 comments:

  1. Such a lovely dress! I have a 70's wedding dress I picked up from a charity shop for a fancy dress do years ago and that's lovely too, the sleeves are similar to those of your mums.

    My mum wore a long navy dress with tiny yellow flowers when she got married. She picked it up in Kensington Market (a fashionable indoor shopping emporium) in the 1970's. My step dad wore a white three piece white suit and platforms were worn by both. They have such a wonderful wedding photo, it always makes me smile.

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  2. I love that dress. While I'm not into the more tacky 70s fashion, I love the dreamy, nostalgic clothes of that era. I've got a cookbook that's all 70s-Edwardiana, and it's so charming...

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  3. I'll tell you one thing for sure - your mum's 70s wedding dress is a lot nicer than my mum's 80s one with its massive puffy shoulders! It looks lovely on you, but I don't think it's our modern understanding of what a wedding dress should look like at all.. like the commenter above me says - it's the kind of thing you'd wear for fancy dress now, probably as Princess Leia! CC x

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  4. This does look shocking like Princess Leia, but it is still very pretty. Especially with the floppy hat your Mom wore.

    So cool it fit you : )

    I bet your Mom loves that you were able to wear it.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  5. That does remind me of princess Leia, especially when you're wearing it :) I guess it's the absence of the hat in your photo.
    I'm not a big fan of 70's fashion or bridal fashion, it resembles long pyjamas or amish clothes, BUT it's still a lot better than 80's wedding styles. Oh my god those puff sleeves :D

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  6. This is quite darling, and the 70s are coming back around, so I could see this dress being worn by a more care-free, boho type bride actually!

    My parents tied the knot in the 70s too, and my mother's dress was quite 70s, and I personally find the 70s bridal looks much more appealing than the 80s! All of that thick lace and sequins and beads! Yesh!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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  7. This is quite darling, and the 70s are coming back around, so I could see this dress being worn by a more care-free, boho type bride actually!

    My parents tied the knot in the 70s too, and my mother's dress was quite 70s, and I personally find the 70s bridal looks much more appealing than the 80s! All of that thick lace and sequins and beads! Yesh!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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  8. Your parents look great, and you look amazing in your mom's wedding dress! I don't usually care much for 70s styles, but your parents' wedding outfits have a simplicity to them that's pretty timeless. I hope I can say the same when I look back on my wedding photos.

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  9. It is a pretty elegant dress, but it does look rather Princess Leia on you! My parents also got married in the 70s, and my mother also had a flowy dress and serious platforms. Your father, however, chose a much more sensible suit than my dad's pale blue with flared trousers, wide lapels, and a ruffley shirt underneath. Classic :)

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  10. Honestly, I'd take the fair majority of 70s wedding looks over those of the 60s (minus the more 50s styled gowns of the first few years of that decade) and 80s alike (mile high, poofy shoulders, no thanks!). They were sweet and classic in a sense, often quite modest and especially lovely on tall, slender silhouettes like you and your beautiful mom have.

    ♥ Jessica

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  11. I love that dress and it fits you as beautifully as it did your Mum. You've both got wonderful figures. xxx

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  12. Wow, it looks amazing on you, and on your mum too, of course! I do like those 70s styles, they're romantic and stylish and very cool. xxx

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  13. How charming! Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday and have a wonderful week ahead. xo

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  14. I think it is so sweet! I wish I would have had my moms to try on. I dont know if she kept it. YOu look great in it
    from the link up
    please stop by, jess xx
    http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com/

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  15. I am a huge fan of 70's wedding dresses and your one is BRILLIANT! I adore it! You look as pretty as your mum though it's sad the hat no longer survives! Visiting from IM!x

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  16. I LOVE that I found your blog while searching online for Princess Leia :) Here's ME in 1997 as Princess Leia in my mom's 1977 wedding dress! http://imgur.com/OU3cLcD

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  17. This dress is looking as charming as it was when your mother wore it. You can make it look more beautiful with right accessories combination.
    Carry Out Bangles Online Shopping at Paliwal Jewelers

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  18. I like the 1970's dress. It is very pretty and elegant.
    Marilyn

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