Wedding gown, ecru silk dress (c. 1855) #197

#197

Wedding gown, ecru silk dress in simple Quaker style, crocheted buttons with silk fichu, net cap. (c. 1855)

In 1855, the bride, Mararet Williams, married Jabez Jenkins. 

The bride and groom sat before the Quaker meeting and recited their vows. There was no minister; they believed that they were married by God. (Quakers did not wear veils)

Wedding gown, ecru silk dress (c. 1875) #345

#345

Wedding gown, ecru silk dress in tightly-corseted Princesse style with lace trim at bodice, sleeves and train. (c.1875)

Donor: Ms. Virginia Wycoff Mac Gregor. In 1875 the bride, Anna J. Sutton married Arthur W. Watson. 

Wedding Gown, gold silk damask dress (c. 1875) #257

#257

Wedding Gown, gold and ecru damask dress with side panels of ecru pleated ruffles, lace jabot. (c. 1875)

Donor: Mrs. Robert Northrop (her grandmother's wedding dress).

Wedding gown, mocha silk faille dress (c. 1880) #141

#141

Wedding gown, mocha silk faille dress, orange damask panel and orange bobble trim. (c. 1880)

Donor: Mrs. F. Beardsley Foster. The bride, Adele Hughes Rush, wore this dress in 1880 for her second marriage to Mr. Quintard. 

Wedding gown, two piece silk satin dress (c. 1883) #423

#423B

Wedding gown, two piece silk satin dress - skirt panel jeweled with pearls and bugle beads, bustle and court train edged with self-pleating. (c. 1883)

Donor: Mrs. Samuel Peirce. The bride, Wealthy Albro, married Richard Lewis in 1883. 

Wedding Gown, two piece satin striped silk dress (c. 1883) #36

#36

Wedding Gown, two piece satin striped silk dress, deep lace ruffle on neckline of long basque and on 18th century style panniers. (c. 1883) 

Donor: Bessie Kingman. Worn by her mother, Mary Pratt Dunham of Brockton, Massachusetts, at her marriage to Henry Martin Kingman in 1883.

Wedding gown, white and silver damask dress (c. 1890) #97

#97

Wedding gown, white and silver damask dress with cream faille at bodice and French inspired high-backed train. (c. 1890)

Donor: Mrs. J. Hoban Harris.  Worn by her grandmother, Minnie Farthing, at her marriage to John T. Steele. 

Wedding gown, net dress (c. 1905) #114

#114

Wedding gown, net dress with tape lace appliqué, satin trim. (c. 1905) 

     Label: B and L Schulman, New York City. 

Donor: Darien Thrift Shop (Darien Community Association)

Wedding gown, silk satin dress (c. 1910) #580

#580

Wedding gown, silk satin dress with Empire bodice gathered to fabric "buckle." Chenille fringe trim on bodice, sleeves and tunic. (c. 1910)

Donor: Marian Brand

The French designer, Paul Poiret, introduced this radical new design in 1908. It enabled women to abandon the restrictive corsets they had endured for centuries. 

Wedding Gown, ecru velvet dress (c. 1920) #354

#354

Wedding Gown, ecru velvet dress with draped skirt, sleeves and train lined with gold lamé. (c. 1920) 

Donor: by Agnes Gorski. Worn by Marguerite de Buys at her wedding to Henry Banks III. They settled in the Noroton section of Darien, Connecticut. 

Wedding Gown, ecru silk satin dress (c. 1941) #691

#691

Wedding Gown, ecru silk satin dress, hand embroidered bodice with pearls and silver thread. The four leaf clover motif refers to the bride's birth date: St. Patrick's Day. (c. 1941)

Donor: Tia Sidey. Worn by her mother-in-law, Eileen Wilkinson, who was the daughter of the Lord Mayor of London. She married Ian Sidey in 1941 during the London Blitz. 

Caroline Herrera wedding gown, silk organza (c. 1989) #722

#722

Carolina Herrera wedding gown, ecru silk organza with tucked bodice and ruffle trim (c. 1989)

Donor: Liz Gessner