SHE'S GETTING MARRIED TODAY. QUIETLY

 

Yes, she’s getting married today. But quietly. There will be no procession down a church aisle, no rows of guests waiting in pews, and no elaborate ceremony. Just a beautiful dress, a few flowers, perhaps a witness or two—and a visit to the justice of the peace.  In the1920s, a civil ceremony offered another possibility: dressing for marriage without dressing for spectacle. A fashionable bride might choose a beautiful afternoon dress, a suit or coat ensemble, or a dress special enough to mark the occasion without the formality expected of a large church wedding. For my imaginary 1920s bride, that means beads and pearls, a wonderful hat, gloves, and just a few flowers. Nothing about her is ordinary, but nothing announces that she needs an audience either.

 That idea fascinates me as a designer. Take away the cathedral, the long aisle and the expectations of a traditional bridal entrance, and the dress has to work differently. It becomes something the woman inhabits rather than a costume created around a ceremony. This beaded, elongated silhouette has the ease and movement I love about 1920s fashion; dressed with an organza picture hat and a handful of calla lilies, it feels sophisticated rather than ceremonious. She could marry in it, step out onto the street afterward, have lunch somewhere wonderful—and still look unmistakably like a bride.

Dress and Hat by Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture