Queen Victoria is largely credited with starting the tradition of elaborate wedding dresses when she wed in 1840. Thankfully for us, the advent of photography soon after allows us to get a glimpse at how others adapted this tradition over the years.
1. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (1 of 13)
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This 1850's bride shows an early Victorian dress with a fitted bodice, small waist, and full skirt. These were typically made of organdy, tulle, lace, gauze, silk, linen, or cashmere. The veils were sheer cotton or lace.
2. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (2 of 13)
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Here is another tintype photo that captures a late 1850s bride with a bit more formal adornment and decoration. Notice the exquisite detail of her gloves and fan!
3. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (3 of 13)
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Starting in the early 1860's, brides began adding various local flowers to their dresses and hair pieces. The waists remained small, while the width of the skirts themselves grew dramatically. It was around this time that bridesmaids began becoming a tradition, and they often carried elaborate flower bouquets that matched the bride.
4. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (4 of 13)
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We will re-visit some earlier dresses in a moment, but wanted to skip forward to 1874 to show how the dresses became more slim over time, but the veils and trains became significantly longer!
5. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (5 of 13)
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While most brides wore white in the 1800's, widows typically wore a darker color, had no veil, and no bridesmaids. This 1879 photo tells the story. Towards the end of the century, however, people lightened up a bit and widows began to wear dresses that were off-white, ivory, rose, or violet. They also said "to heck with it" and brought along their bridesmaids anyway.
6. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (6 of 13)
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Let's jump back to the 1860s for a moment to see another variation of the Victorian dress. As you'll see, the veils were just starting to get longer and her hair was lined with orange blossoms (a symbol of purity). The dress remained simple and elegant, however.
7. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (7 of 13)
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By the end of the century, brides were all trying to take things one step further than everyone else. This 1898 photo of the Baroness Christine von Linden on her wedding day tells the story: flowers everywhere, long train, gloves, high veil, etc. She must have been quite striking in person!
8. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (8 of 13)
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Sometimes it's nice to see a bride who just can't help but smile! This early 1870s bride got a little creative with her dress, and good for her! She wasn't afraid to add a little bit of color and gold to her special day.
9. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (9 of 13)
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This is a photo of Francis Folger on her wedding day in 1887. This is one of the only dresses we've seen like it that has the elaborate pleating on the front, but it is quite elegant on Miss Folger!
10. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (10 of 13)
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The French always were on the leading edge of glamour and fashion, even in the 1800s! This 1877 photo shows a very young bridge with a light dress made predominately of silk, lace, sating, and a sheer cotton. By the looks of it, her train must have been around 10-12 feet long!
11. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (11 of 13)
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While the French were always trying new things, the Italians were simply keeping things elegant and beautiful. This bride from 1875 in Rome has chosen a long veil and train, but kept everything else traditional. The Italians did go a bit more elaborate with the jewelry, however!
12. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (12 of 13)
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Another happy bride!!! This time, we get a great glimpse in to what a more upper-middle or middle-class dress would look like around 1880. This one has many intricate elements and was likely made locally or repurposed from another, previous dress.
13. Exquisite Wedding Dresses of the 1800s (13 of 13)
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Princess Mary of Teck in 1893. This dress aimed to capture a dramatic figure by using heavy corseting that was starting to come in to fashion at the time.