Allison Powell of the James A. Garfield National Historic Site–Lawnfield–in Mentor was the presenter for the local James A.Garfield Historical Society’s program on Victorian weddings..
She opened with a predictive poem on weddings in general and proceeded to illustrate how wedding customs developed in the United Kingdom–Britain specifically–because Queen Victoria, the nation’s longest ruling monarch until Elizabeth II, was the arbiter of how nearly every aspect of society developed. That included weddings.
And there were rules of etiquette for everything, from young ladies “coming out” into society, to the wardrobe they were to amass, to the length of the engagement, to the financial/business arrangements involved (Women could not vote, independently own property, or do much of anything else as individuals.) This, of course, was mainly the province of the upper/wealthy classes; the more ostentatious the better was the rule. This involved many orange blossoms, ivy, nosegays, jewelry, wedding brunches, elaborate wedding dresses–not always white, particularly in the lower classes, trains (not locomotives) bustles.
Even on this side of the Atlantic, many of these traditions took hold–”Something borrowed, something blue,” for instance, “A sixpence in her shoe,” for another. American weddings noted were the marriage of Grace Kelly to Prince Albert of Monaco and Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter Alice to Nicholas Longworth (She cut the wedding cake with a sword.).
Thanks to JAGHS member Barb Walker for the arrangements; she can also take credit for the ongoing “Tap Talks”. More coming–stay tuned.
The audience was overwhelmingly female–four brave guys were in attendance–taking notes, no doubt.
