Photographs from the past

I always enjoy a good rummage in dusty old boxes in junk/antique shops to see what I can unearth. I had a good look a few weeks ago in my local antique shop and I found these beauties. I spent quite some time deciding which to have. I couldn't afford to buy them all and I do find abandoned photos touching. I don't like to think that no one cares about the people photographed any longer and I always think that I need to rescue them. That is coupled with the fact that I love seeing fashions worn by real people in the past. So here are the choices I made:

Edith Dolan 1940's

One fantastic thing about these photos is that most of them had names written on the back and I do like to be able to put a name to a face. Many of them also had date stamps which is so very useful, especially for the starts and ends of decades where the fashions of one are merging into the new fashions the next and clothes alone aren't always enough to go on.

Isn't she just perfect?! Amazing hair, the arches on her eyebrows, glimmering pearl studs, puff sleeved jumper. I think the jumper is a hand knit and it looks to have dark thin stripes knitted in from the bust down. I think I have a similar pattern. I would love to know more about her.

Winnie Gibson and Douglas 1940's

Winnie's hat stopped me in my tracks and she went into the 'must keep' pile straight away. It is pretty amazing and so very big! Her dress is worth a good look too with those big round buttons on the shoulders and the diagonal stripes that cross at the bust. I wish I could see the rest of it. Douglas looks rather jolly and very smart in his uniform. I hope they came through the war unscathed and were happy together.

Ethel Booth 1920's

Ethel Booth 1920's

I couldn't leave Ethel behind for two reasons. One is that I found two photos of her and I wanted to keep them together. The other is her gorgeous 1920's day wear. I particularly like the first dress, the second is very pretty but a bit floaty for me. The first however, is one that I can imagine wearing. It appears to be a leaf print with a central white bib in the front and a long, pointed collar. Lovely shoes too.

I think Ethel is older in the second photo. Her face has slightly changed shape, her eyes are more defined like she may have some make up on and she has waved her hair. Her floral print dress has pointy, plain cuffs and collar. The floral fabric appears to be see through with a slip underneath, I think the slip is lace trimmed. Great shoes again. I can't quite see what she is holding but I think it is a beaded purse and so that is what it shall be.

Elsie Godard 26th October 1930

Bob and Elsie Godard 6th April 1931

I think Elsie Godard is such a glamorous beauty and I was so pleased to find two photos of her. I just love the top one; the casually knotted pearls, the big fur collar, the sparkle from the ring, the waved hair and that beret. It looks to be tweed, possibly with a bow at the back. I want it.

It is a bonus to get to see whole of her coat in the second photo; I'm sure it is the same one. I would like to know why they are in their outdoor clothes. Are they pretending that they lived in or visited the thatched cottage on the painted backdrop? Elsie looks more set for town than country to me though. Elsie still has her pearls on and I'm wondering if that is a dress clip on her cloche? Her shoes are marvellous too, with white edged bow shaped cut outs on the front.

Bob appears to be in a rather nice three piece wool suit, I can just about see his waistcoat. I like his big turn ups on his trousers. Nice tartan scarf too. I would like to know more about them.

Hilda and I 1920's

On the back of this photo it looks like the writer (I), on the left,  has written that they were 15 and a half and that Hilda is 17. I found out who was who as the next few photos are clearly labelled as Hilda. I think from their positioning that this is Hilda with her sister and I will come back to this in a couple of photos time.

I do like these dresses. You can clearly see the dropped waist of the one on the left, it is marked by several rows of small pleats. From the waist down the skirt are decorations which look rather like rosebuds. These appear to go all the way around the skirt. Hilda's dress has printed flowers and leaves which seem to reach just above waist level. There is a lace insert in the V neck. They both have lovely pearl necklaces and Hilda is spotting some very pretty, glittery star slides in her hair.

Hilda Price 11th April 1931

I would like to know what Hilda is thinking here; she has an interesting expression. I like her smartly belted coat with the big buckle and the thick fur collar with the corsage pinned on. I think her hat is woven fabric though it is hard to tell.

Florrie and Hilda Price 1930's

This was taken on 1st November but I can't read the year of the date stamp sadly. I think it is safe to assume that they are sisters. I am certain that Florrie is the I in the first photo with Hilda.  I have studied them a lot to make the connections. I like the matching huge bead necklaces and the carefully set hair. Hilda could well be wearing the same coat as in the previous photo.

Hilda 7th My 1939

Another interesting expression. What were you pondering Hilda? This photo really has something about it. Here she is a few years older, still liking a big pearl like necklace and a fur collared coat and a star shaped hair clip.

Hilda and hubby 1930's

I loved finding this and realising that I had photos of Hilda from her teenage years to her wedding. The back of the photo just said hubby, so sadly we don't know his name. I'm surprised that the writer didn't say having been so good at writing the names in the first place.

It is a perfect vintage wedding photo. Floor length veil, gigantic bouquet, beautiful full length, long sleeved dress and the groom is carrying his white gloves. I hope they were very happy.

Hilda Price and hubby

I nearly left this one when I first found it as it isn't my kind of thing and as I said I couldn't buy them all. But then I realised it was Hilda and it kind of finished her story off for me. I want this to be a honeymoon memento and I really think it could be. It was taken in a studio that has two branches, one in London and one in Blackpool. I'm so sure that Blackpool is where this was taken, it just feels right!

I think that these photos all came from one person's collection. I wish we knew the links between them all.

Vintage wedding photographs part five

It is an exciting time as my sister gets married on Saturday. It seems to have been a while in the planning and is now suddenly here. Her dress is made, the cakes are iced, my niece and I have sparkly bridesmaid's shoes to wear, bunting is being put together, paper flowers are being fashioned and crochet floral table centrepiece production is a go go. It is all set to be a wonderful day.

All this wedding preparation made me think it was about time to feature some more vintage wedding photos here. You can find more in my previous posts on this subject here, here, here, here  here and here.

I really like this 1920's photograph as you can see a fair bit of detail of the bride's cap and veil. Look at the lovely lace on the corner of the veil that is hanging over the chair. Her cap is either beaded or she has some kind of tiara on. It is a shame that her massive bouquet hides her dress but this is common in wedding photos of this era.

I think this is a 1920's wedding because of the bride's hat, hair and dropped waist dress. On the back of the photo it says Mother and Dad. I wish we had their names! I like the fact that this bride's bouquet almost touches the floor! The groom is very dapper.

I think that this is also a 1920's wedding, although it could be early 1930's. Massive bouquets, floor length veil, pearls, bridal cap. I am particularly interested in the bridesmaid's dresses as it looks like they have some sort of open, full length coat that goes over their dresses. Their hats are also interesting, the look like they have an inner cap that fits close to the head and then the outer part has the brim. You can see the hat pin on the bridesmaid on the left.

I like these two smiley, happy bridesmaids. I like the jaunty angled brims on their hats too. The sleeves and length of their gowns make me think this is a 1930's photo.

I think this is an early 1940's photograph judging by the hair and the woman on the right's dress and hat. We can't see much of the bride but close up it is possible to distinguish two layers to her dress, the top layer is see through and looks to have a lattice pattern. The bridesmaid's dresses look a little more 1930's with their puffed sleeves. On the bridesmaid on the left you can see some kind of detailing near the bottom of the dress, I think it could be an appliqué bow? The little girl has nice shoes that I would wear now and a great, sticking out dress!

This photo is not in great condition but I wanted to include it as the bride is in the middle of laughing at something and looks so very happy. I can't tell if the bride's dress is a printed fabric, some kind of damask or has a lace overlay. Her sleeves look slightly puffed but then tight from the elbow down. You can just catch a glimpse of her floor length veil behind the groom's leg. I like his pin striped suit. I think this is a 1940's wedding.

This is a lovely picture of a wartime wedding. I hope that they had a long and happy life together. The bride and bridesmaid have suits on or possibly the bride has a long coat and a dress on. Impressive hats too.

Very helpfully there is lots of information on the back of this picture. The wedding of Mary and Alan took place on 4th November 1948. The best man is Brian Temperley and the bridesmaid is May Lyons, the bride worked with her at the Regal Cinema. I love being able to find out this kind of information. The bride is in a lovely shaped suit, it looks like the skirt may button down the middle, or it has some kind of central decoration. May's dress has some very pretty pleats and looks to have some embroidery at the collar. She has a very far away look!

This bride is wearing a lovely suit, it is probably a wartime wedding. The star piece of her ensemble is her hat. It  has masses of veiling and some bird's feathers/wings/half a bird on it. Quite impressive. They look happy couple.

I think that this could be a 1940's wedding too. The top of her dress has such beautiful details on it, beaded flowers and a sequined ribbon. I think that her hat is made of feathers, I like the ones that curl around her ears. This is a lovely, happy picture.

This is such a fabulous picture of these three bridesmaids all smiling away. The have lovely floor length floral dresses with a slight sweetheart neckline finished off with pearls. They all have elbow length white gloves and cute half hats. I think this is from a 1950's wedding.

I'm looking forward to Saturday!

More vintage wedding photographs part four

I thought that it was about time to take a look at some more vintage wedding photographs as I have managed to add a few more to my collection. For others, take a look at these posts here, here, here and here.

This is such a lovely 1920's bridal party. All the women are in cloche hats, all of which are different. The men are all in three piece suits. The man on the left has his jacket open and it is just possible to make out the fob of his pocket watch. It also looks like his trousers may be a smidgen too short for him. The bride looks great in her pretty dress which looks to have silk circles appliqued around the hem and neckline. She is wearing a double strand of pearls. The bridesmaid on the right has the best shoes, t-bars with cut outs and a great heel height. She looks very similar to the bride, I think they must be sisters.

This is the bridesmaid on the left in the first picture. I was so pleased to find a second picture from this wedding. As she is standing in this photo we get a much clearer view of her outfit, such a pretty floaty dress with a handkerchief hem and sleeves. The print is floral, stylised poppies in several colours I think, with sprays of leaves that look like the foliage in the bouquets. Her hat is double layered, a sheer layer under a net/lace/straw outer. She is wearing a fine chain with diamante type jewels.

Moving on to the 1930's.

I would very much like her outfit! At first I thought it was a two piece but on closer inspection I think it is a dress made of some kind of herringbone weave material. It has fantastically huge buttons, I can't decide if they are flowers or clusters of gems. They are great though, they add glamour to an otherwise plain outfit. Topped off by a very lovely hat. Is she the bride? I don't think so but is part of the bridal party maybe. Mother of the bride? I would love to know.

Look at the groom's super shiny topper! He is wearing a tailcoat with a lighter coloured waistcoat underneath and has very fine pinstripes on his trousers and his carrying his white gloves. The bride has a beautiful floor length lace veil and an amazing paper/floral headpiece. I can't see much of her dress as the massive bouquet is in the way! She is also carrying a lucky horseshoe. They both look so very happy, great smiles!

I think this photograph is from the early 1940's.

Another wonderful set of floral print attired bridesmaids. The print looks like bunches of roses and chrysanthemums. The dresses have Peter Pan collars and sleeves which are puffed at the shoulders and gathered down the arm. They are all wearing a floral headband. The detail I like most about their outfits is the poesy of felt flowers pinned at the throat in the join of the collar. So pretty!

The bride is wearing a dress made from beautiful lace and has a double layer veil in two lengths. She looks to be wearing a heart shaped locket. The groom is wearing a marvellous pin stripe suit with a paisley tie. Snappy dresser! The woman on the right is wearing a dress worth a second look. I like the contrast stripe at the edge of the crossover front. There is floral applique on each shoulder which matches that on her cummerbund style belt. I would rather like that dress for myself. I am guessing but think that she is the bride's mother and the bridesmaid sat in front of her is the bride's little sister.

Here we have a wartime wedding. The bride is wearing a two piece suit which looks to be made from velvet and is very simple in design. Her headpiece looks like it may be made from ruched velvet, it is very pretty. She is carrying a lucky horseshoe. The men are all in three piece suits, the one on the left appears to be plain and the other two are pinstriped. The man on the right is holding gloves inside his hat.

I know that these two are called Jack and Gwendoline as I bought this photo and the next from a relative of theirs who had several copies of these photos. It is so nice to talk to someone who knew all about the people in the picture and to find out some things about them. Another wartime wedding here with Gwendoline in a two piece suit which has more detail in it's cut then the one in the previous photo. I like the curved pocket detail. She is wearing a triple strand of pearls and her corsage looks to be made from three orchids. I really like her hat which has some veiling and a double rose bloom detail. Jack is in a three piece suit and is wearing a stripey tie. I think it is such a lovely photograph.

This is Tony and Irene. Tony is Gwendoline's brother and he used to tease her, saying that she had fat legs, and always called her Jumbo! What a lovely brother! If you look at the previous photo I think you will agree that there is nothing out of the ordinary about Gwendoline's legs so I hope she didn't have a complex after being called Jumbo.

Irene is wearing a very simple but beautiful V necked dress with a ruched bodice, long sleeves and a long lace trimmed veil. She is wearing a triple strand of pearls. Her hair flowers look like lilies. Irene is carrying a massive bouquet of red carnations, ferns and heather and is holding a lucky horseshoe.

Tony is wearing pinstriped trousers with a dark jacket, a white shirt and a checked tie. He is carrying white gloves. he has obviously taken great care of his hair!

I think this next photo is either from the late 1940's or the early 1950's, probably the later.

I like this photo of a very happy couple posing outside the church which in my head, is a tiny countryside church. The bride is wearing a dress with a shirt like, long sleeved, wide collared bodice and a flared, floor length skirt. The dress material looks interesting, it has a raised/embossed pattern on it, I can't tell what that pattern is sadly. The bride's veil is almost floor length and where it is attached to her hair she has curved sprays of flowers which are really pretty.

The groom is in a dark tailcoat, a lighter waistcoat, a white shirt and pinstriped trousers. He is really grinning at the camera!

The final photograph is from the 1950's.

This looks like the parents of the bride and groom with the best man, bridesmaid, flower girl and page boy. It isn't possible to see much detail of either the bride or groom's outfits. The bride does appear to have a long veil, long sleeves and to be carrying lucky horseshoes. I really like the bridesmaid's dress, with it's wide skirt and it's pretty shawl style neckline. The page boy seems to be chuckling away to himself!

That is it from my latest vintage wedding photograph findings. There will be another post when I have managed to track down some more!

More vintage wedding photographs part three

Recently I was lucky enough to find a few more vintage wedding photographs. I snapped them up; I enjoy looking at them so much. I always wonder about the stories that they are telling: how did the bride and groom meet?, how long had they been together? did they marry for love? who is everyone? how are they related? did the bride make her dress? what did the bridesmaids think of theirs? I wish it was possible to know some of  the answers. The most pertinent question is were they happy? I hope that they did all live happily ever after.

I was really pleased to spot this large group photograph, 4 bridesmaids, a flower girl and a page boy is good going. I think this dates from the late 1920's or early 1930's. The bridesmaids all have shawl collared dresses, the collars are edged with frills as are the bottom of the dresses. I think it is very interesting to see that they are all wearing the same hat but have styled them quite differently, like a bit of their personalities peeking through. I think I like the one on the far right best.

It is very hard to see much detail of the bride's dress. There seems to be quite a lot going on with the bodice and she possibly has a belt on. What amazes me is her tiara/headpiece. It is huge, really like a full on crown. I wonder if it was heavy? The glimpse of lace in her floor length veil looks gorgeous and very intricate.

The groom and the two men on the right are clearly related, they have the same nose and mouth shape. All the men have three piece suits on with differently patterned ties and in one case a bow tie. I wonder if he insisted on being different?!

The woman on the left interests me for a couple of reasons. Her dress is more 1920's in style than the others. It could just be an old one? If you can see her expression she actually looks quite cross! Was she? Or did she just not like having her picture taken?

This is only a tiny little snap that is a bit creased and wrinkled. I very much like it because it is such a candid shot. I like how it captures the bride and groom just as they exit the church, having a little chat or a joke before heading off to be congratulated and to pose for photos. I think this is from the 1930's although it is hard to tell with so little detail of the outfits visible.

This is a lovely picture, everyone looks happy, even the girl on the left who isn't beaming but does have a little smile going on. I think this is from the late 1930's/the early 1940's. Both men have very dapper double breasted pin striped suits on and very well stuck down hair!

The two older bridesmaids are in the same dresses, puff sleeves, centre button bodices and what look like large collars with small ruffles that tie with a bow. I think that it is interesting that they have tiaras similar to the brides and which have small veils at the back. The other two bridesmaids have floral headpieces and no veils. The bridesmaid with glasses has a Peter Pan collar dress and the youngest bridesmaid has lots of ruffles. I am wondering if the dresses are different by design or if it was because it was wartime and you had to take what you could get.

I think the bride is very pretty and looks radiant. Sadly we can't see many details of her dress because of the enormous bouquet and the lucky horseshoe. Her mid length veil seems to be made of a stunning piece of lace.

Oh. Did I mention the bridesmaids shoes? No? Take a look at their shoes!

I was very pleased to find these two pictures as I am always happy to find more than one photograph from the same wedding. It makes me feel like I am getting to see more of the story. The first picture contains the bride and groom's parents, the second just the bridesmaids and best man. I think that these date from the 1940s.

The bride's dress appears to be quilted on the yoke and shoulders and also appears to have amazing big 1940's shoulder heads on the sleeves. The dress has a collar and maybe has a pattern down the centre of the bodice but that is all the detail that it is possible to see, again, due to the enormous bouquet. This contains a lucky horseshoe or two and also a lucky black cat. Her veil is almost floor length and has floral motifs around it's edges. She looks very beautiful.

All of the bridesmaids are in different style dresses which makes me think it is wartime. I didn't see that at first, somehow my eye merged them all into something similar until I took a closer look.  Maybe the fact that they all have gathered muffs with flowers in the centre helped bring it all together. These are quite amazingly poofy! The bridesmaids have two different headpieces - a floral garland and some sort of wire work tiara. Look at the expressions of the bridesmaids on the left in the second photo!

I do like the groom's happy expression and the fact that you can see his and the best man's jumpers sticking out of the tops of their jackets. Maybe it was a cold day and the gathered muffs were not just for decoration.

I have really enjoyed looking at these photographs. I hope that I find some more soon.

More vintage wedding photographs

After some successful trips ferreting around in antiques centres and junk shops I have a few more vintage wedding photographs to add to my collection. My virtual collection is growing too, you can see it on my Pinterest board.

This is such a lovely photo set in a splendid panelled room with a huge fireplace that can just be seen on the right hand side. From the suits and dresses I would say it is a late 1930's wedding. The bride's dress has a high square neck with scalloped edging which is repeated at the sleeve edges. The sleeves are puffed and she is wearing a floor length veil. It is a simple and elegant dress. It is interesting that she is carrying a book (prayer?) rather than a bouquet.

The bridesmaid has a tremendous frilled heart shaped head piece, the centre of which seems to echo the panels on her bodice in colour. Her dress has a very high neck, it almost looks uncomfortable, and big puffed sleeves. She has a small pretty poesy finished with thick ribbon.

The men are wearing very dapper double breasted suits and the best man's suit has a pinstripe. The trousers are wide legged and they both carry gloves.

The photo is mounted and written on the mount in pencil is J.M. Turpie, Paisley. I don't know if this refers to the couple or to the photographer and haven't been able to find out.

I was very excited to find this photograph as it is such a relaxed and candid shot. It is very faded, bent and has funny reflections in it's original state so this is the best picture I could get of it. It is obviously a Second World War wedding from the groom's uniform and the bride's best dress rather than a wedding dress. To confirm it the picture is dated on the back which is lovely, I like it when there is any extra information. The wedding was on October 3rd 1942.

 I would love to know who the little girl is, could she be theirs (unlikely due to her age and social stigmas at that time), his, hers (another reason for a best dress rather than a wedding dress if it is a second marriage) or just a relative? All these possibilities are really interesting. I love the fact that it looks like the little girl has just run up to them and the photographer has quickly captured the moment.

There is always a certain sadness when at wartime wedding photographs as you have to wonder whether the men came back and whether everyone survived. I hope they had a long and happy marriage.

When I picked up this photograph I was absolutely convinced that I had seen this bride and groom before and it turns out that I was right. I featured a picture of just the bride and groom on my second post on my photograph bunting from my wedding. She is on the second photograph from the end of the post. I did get them from the same shop but a good six months apart so I was surprised that the two pictures were of the same wedding.

This is from the 1940s, in fact it is dated July 3rd 1945. The bride and bridesmaid are in their best dresses and everyday hats. The bouquets are massive. The groom looks very smart in his three piece suit. I like the row of terraces in the background, I assume they are standing outside the one that will be their home.

It is really nice to have three pictures from the same wedding here which each tell a slightly different part of the story of their day. The first is the bridal party outside the church just after the ceremony. I think the second one is the bride and groom leaving the church on the way to the reception. The third is of the cutting of the cake at the reception. It almost feels like you were there!

I think it is a late 1940s or early 1950s wedding. The bride is wearing a long sleeved, almost sweetheart neckline dress with a fitted bodice and slightly flowing gathered skirt. It is made of a heavy looking printed fabric, possibly satin or silk. Her veil is thigh length and is held in place with a hairband of flowers.

There are 3 adult and 2 child bridesmaids. The children are in bonnets and puff sleeved high neck dresses. The adults have dresses in a similar style to the bride but with short sleeves and different material. They have tiara style headpieces but I think they are probably floral. they all have wonderful bouquets.

It is hard to see much detail of the groom's suit but doesn't he look very youthful?! His best man is in a sailor's uniform, I like his buttonhole flower nestled in the ties of his sailor's collar.

It is really nice to have a picture from the reception, I have not come across many of them. The table setting is lovely, the tea cups have some kind of crest or writing on them. You can see plates of buns and cakes and possibly plates of sandwiches at every place. the wedding cake has 3 tiers with flowers and leaves as the decoration. Look at the vase of flowers on the top. It is on a big silver cake stand, like the one I had.

I keep on looking out for vintage wedding photographs so I imagine there will be another of these posts in the next few months!

Handmade wedding - photograph bunting part two.

As I mentioned in my previous post we had two sets of photograph bunting at our wedding. One was above the cake and consisted of family wedding photos and photos from my friend's mum's album - the one that started it off. The other bunting was above our card and message table and was made from all the photographs that I collected from charity shops and antique centres in the months before our wedding.

In this post I am going to do a show and tell of all the photographs that I didn't have room for previously. There are plenty of gorgeous dresses, dapper gents, uniforms, huge bouquets, tiaras and some lovely brides in glasses who hold a special place in my heart as I was one and you don't see us all that often. For a really interesting look at vintage spectacles and another bride in glasses go to this post at Chronically Vintage.

The following two photos are of family members on my mum's side but we sadly do not know who they were. I am pleased to get to include them here.

I think this is 1930s .
Both dresses are high necked and demure. The bride has a waterfall type hemline
which is great as you can just see her beautiful shoes.
Look at her wonderful halo type headpiece.
I am surprised that they do not collapse under the weight of those giant bouquets.
The groom and best man are holding white gloves   - very smart.

The 1950s judging by the shape of the dresses. The brides appears to have
a full length lace overlay and has long sleeves in contrast to the bridesmaid's
short sleeves. Their dresses look to be patterned fabric rather than lace.
Notice the three girls on the left in their smart princess coats, knee length
white socks and shiny shoes. The little boy on the right is not being outdone
in his blazer and shorts.

This next set of photos are the ones from my friend's mum's album.

I think this is the 1930s. The bride's dress has a Peter Pan collar and a button
through front. Her veil is floor length.
In contrast the bridesmaid's dresses are very ornate with net overlays, ruffles
and swirls. They are wearing intricate headpieces.

This photograph is interesting as the bridesmaids on the left and right are the
same as in the previous picture, wearing the same dresses. I think the bridesmaid
stood next to the bride was the bride in the previous picture.
1930s.



1930s.
The groom is wearing a lovely pinstriped suit, look at
those sharp trouser creases.
The bride's neckline looks interesting, she is possibly
wearing a bolero. You can just see some lace detail on
the floor length veil.
She is carrying at least two lucky horseshoes.



From the bride's suit and hat I would say this is a 1940s wedding.
Interestingly she has no bouquet just an ornate corsage.
The men are holding white gloves, the women are wearing leather gloves.
The woman on the left either has very frilly sleeves or a pair of white
gauntlet gloves on.
The bride and groom are beaming, it is lovely.

Also the 1940s. The bride appears to have a floral
headpiece with a veil attached. She is wearing
a lovely suit.
Look how her bouquet covers almost one third of her.
She also has a lucky horseshoe.



I think this is 1940s or late 1930s.
I wonder if this was taken outside their house.
The bride appears to be wearing a long jacket over
her dress.
The groom has white gloves, a stripy tie and a waistcoat.



Now we are in the 1950s.
Look at the fabulous flares skirts of the bridesmaids, I bet there are some layers
of petticoat under there. They are wearing elbow length gloves and have gorgeous
floral top knots.
The bride's veil is much shorter and flared than those of the 1920s and 1930s.
She is wearing a nice pair of specs and is carrying a lucky horseshoe and a pair
of lucky black cats.



What an ornate wedding cake!
You can see the lovely shape of the bride's dress and
the detail of the lace. Her veil is much more of a birdcage style/

Look how happy this couple are. I am assuming
this was taken in the churchyard.
Her dress is a beautiful shape and the full skirt is
balance by the lovely pointy shoes.

No veil here but a wonderful fit and flare dress.
Wrist length gloves, a small poesy and many
lucky horseshoes.



The first ring shot. Doesn't the groom look proud!?
Her dress is made of gorgeous lace with a slip dress
underneath. Again, a short, flared veil.

The next three photos are from 1960s weddings.
All the women have some version of beehive or bouffant hair.
The bride's veil is back to being floor length with a shorter front section to cover
her face. She is carrying a lucky black cat.
The bridesmaid's dresses are well shaped but very plain.



I love this because both the bride and groom are spectacle wearers, the bride
has a fine pair of cats eyes frames going on.
Her dress is more of a column and has a funnel neck. Again the veil is two lengths.

I think that she looks beautiful and elegant in
such a simple shaped dress. The below bust bow
detail perfectly finishes it off.

The following pictures are the random ones that I found on my treasure hunts.

The 1900s?
The groom is in tails and a proper three piece suit. He
is holding white gloves and has a wing collar.
The bride's dress is beautiful, on the shoulders and round
the bottom there is detailing which looks like mini bunting.
Look at her lovely dainty heeled shoes.
She has a floor length veil and is carrying a huge bunch of
lillies.

As you can see this picture is mounted on
card and is handily dated August 2nd 1913
which is fantastic detail to have.
The groom is in tails and a three piece suit.
He has a wing collar and is carrying gloves
and a topper! How dashing!
Do take a look at his mighty fine moustache.
It is hard to see much detail of the bride's dress
unfortunately. I can see that her veil is not
floor length but her dress is. You can just see
the bows and heels on her dainty shoes.

This is from the 1920s. Look at all the women's lovely headgear, especially
the bride's lace cap veil.
I think the bride may be wearing a long string of pearls and it looks like her
dress is lace at the top and changes to fabric under the bust.
I love the expression on the face of the little girl at the front.



I think this is from the 1930s from the bride's dress
and Art Deco type background.
There is writing on the back of the photo but it is not
in English. I can make out that the bride and groom
are Lenon and Maria and if I had to guess I would say
it is in Polish but that is a gut reaction rather than the
result of any linguistic skills on my part.



1930s.
This has a stamp on the back from the photographer's
studio and it is from Weert in the South-eastern
Netherlands. I bought it in Lincolnshire, it would be
great to know how it ended up there.
The groom is in a three piece suit with tails, white gloves
 and a topper but no winged collar this time.
The bride's bodice has a lace overlay and a Peter Pan collar.
Her little pouch bag hanging from her wrist is lovely.



The detail is quite hard to see on this photo but I think it is
also from the 1930s. Although much is not clear you can see
the beaming bridesmaid on the right which is great.



1930s.
I love how glamorous this picture is. Look how the
bride's train and veil have been pulled out to pool
round her feet onto the floor. There is fine embroidery
on the veil, possibly crysanthemums.
Look how the bride is stooping over slightly as she is
 clearly taller than the groom!

This bride and groom are also from Weert and had their
pictures taken at the same studio. Their outfits are very
similar. On the back of this picture it is handwritten
to a Mr and Mrs Thompson.

I think this is from the 1930s.
I find it interesting that there are three young bridesmaids and
a pageboy and they are wearing clothes made from floral
sprigged fabric, the first I have seen. The littlest girl has such
a Little Bo Peep bonnet on!
The bride's dress has a lace overlay and she is carrying a lucky
horseshoe.

I am going for early 1940s for this one as the groom looks to be in uniform
but the bride and bridesmaid's dresses still have a 1930s look to them.
They have such wonderful big smiles.



This was quite a find as it is a large picture of a full group shot. It is very
tatty, dog eared and slightly ripped so I have done my best to show the
good bits of it.
My gut feeling is that is is late 1940s,  possibly early 1950s.
The groom and best man are in lovely pinstriped suits.
The guests are displaying a fantastic collection of hats.
It is hard to see much detail of the dresses, not helped by the giant bouquets
which are hiding them.

This is William and Colleen, a 1940s wedding.
The picture is underexposed so the detail is
unclear but I think it conveys a sense of the
happiness of the day which I love.

I think this is from the 1940s. I wonder if
this is taken outside their house?
The groom is in a three piece suit.

The 1950s.
The first glimpse in these photos of a wedding car.
She looks such a perfect 1950s bride, her dress is a gorgeous shape.

That is the end of my collection as it currently stands. I imagine that now I have started I will probably be looking out for vintage wedding photographs for some time to come. I love a collection and don't feel that you can ever have too many. At least this one doesn't take up lots of space!

If you are interested in vintage wedding style and details then you may find Vintage Weddings by Marnie Fogg a good book to refer to. I bought it before my wedding as a source of inspiration and loved it even though I have not read it all yet. If you are planning a vintage wedding it gives advice on dress styles to suit you, menus, entertainment, drinks etc.