Flower Festival – Wedding Dresses

Ashbury Flower Festival

11th – 13th June 2010

12th & 13th June 2010 – Display of Wedding Dresses through the Decades

1770 – Reproduction of an 18th Century sack back dress with pannier and cream corset designed and made by Julie Franklin.

1870 – Victorian ivory silk skirt with embroidered panel. The bustle and bodice have been restored – some original lace. The outfit and shoes were worn in 1879 by Sarah Elizabeth Hicks (nee Beach).

1920 – Headdress with two bands of wax lillies of the valley worn by Leonie Knott’s mother in 1929, by Leonie in 1954 and by Leonie’s daughter with the addition of a third band of flowers in 1990.

1930a – Ivory silk satin shift style dress with slight flare on panels and freshwater pearls at neck and cuffs. This outfit was worn in 1933 by Hilda Elizabeth Box (nee Fowler) who is still alive aged 102.

1930b – Oyster coloured duchess satin dress, hand made by Lizbeth of London. Floor length with long fanned train attached from lower back. Seed pearl bows on either side of the neckline. Worn by Esme Helen Roy Fitzmaurice-Charrington in 1939.

Display of weddings in the 1940s – by Ashbury School.

1950a – A long sleeved dress with lace collar and insert. Five pearl buttons on the front of the dress with a belt tied in a bow at the back. The veil and dress with underskirt (not on display) were worn by Eunice Gigg (nee Pill) in 1952. In 1963 the dress and veil were worn by Eunice’s cousin Daphne Barrett (nee Jefferies) but without the underskirt.

1950b – Cream brocade strapless dress with marching three-quarter sleeved bolero. A wide fabric band is threaded through slots in the skirt and buttoned at the back. A slight train has been removed. Worn by Leonie Knott (nee Holmes) in 1954.

1960a – Full length dress with long sleeves which are fitted at the wrist. Boat neckline at front and a V neckline at the back, fitted waist and bow at the back. The dress is made of white nylon with floral flocking and has a stiff net underskirt. Worn by Joy Ball (nee Mitchell) in 1960.

1960b – Full length white grosgrain dress with trumpet sleeves, front of skirt straight, with fullness at back. Also on display, the headdress and veil. Worn by Clare McGlashan (nee Humphries) in 1964.

1970a Cream satin dress with long sleeves, stand up frill around the collar and cuffs, empire line bodice fitted into waist at the back with a train decorated with broderie anglaise flowers. Worn by Penny Green (nee Hinton) in 1972.

1970b High waisted dress, the bodice with pin tucks and a frill, trimmed with lace flowers, a bias roll collar and long sleeves. The dress was made slightly adapted from a “Style” pattern (on display) by the bride with the help of her mother-in-law. The bride also made the veil which she trimmed with lace flowers to match the dress. Sue Reade wore the dress in 1974; it cost £12 to make. The veil was subsequently worn by daughter Katy and the flowers were replaced with pearls to match Katy’s dress – shown in the 2000 display.

1970c Nylon dress and train with frilly lace overlay and ribbon bow at the back. On loan from the Prospect Charity Shop.

1980a – An ivory satin and lace dress with bustle and train worn in 1985 by Anne Taylor (nee Hammond) and previously by her mother Jane Hammond (nee Inglis) in 1961. Also on display are shoes and necklace worn by Anne. The bride made the bridesmaid’s dress out of cotton floral furnishing fabric from Laura Ashley.

1980b – An elaborately decorated dress with train: the inner-shell made of nylon and the outer-shell of polyester, trimmed with pearls and sequins, with a huge decorative bow at the back. On loan from the Prospect Charity Shop.

1990a – Chanel sleeveless dress with crepe bodice and net skirt, worn by Anica Nishio (nee Alvarez) in 1993.

1990b – Cream silk dress made in Faringdon after the style of a very expensive one. Worn by Ann Jenkins (nee Knott) at St Mary’s Church in 1990.

1990c – Cream striped duchess satin dress, hand made by Christiana Couture. Floor length with covered buttons on the front and long tapered sleeves. Long veil with comb attached. Note blue bow sewn into back of neck for “something blue” and hedgehog sewn into hem of dress as reminder of bride’s grandmother (whose dress is also on display). Worn by Nicola Foster (nee Mackenzie-Charrington) in 1999.

2000a – An ivory V-necked, long sleeved dress with fitted bodice made of pure silk, trimmed with small pearls at neckline, plus veil and shoes. The veil was made by the bride – ribbon was stitched onto net and embellished with pearls. Worn by Rebecca Peal (nee Reade) at St Mary’s Church in April 2000.

2000b – A sleeveless dress with panelled bodice, full skirt and train. Bodice and bottom edge of dress embellished with embroidery and pearls. Veil was made and worn by the bride’s mother, but the original trimmings were replaced with pearls. Katy Archard (nee Reade) was married at St Mary’s in October 2000.