Wedding Trends and Fashions
it seems, of at least one big, stupendous
celebrity or royal wedding, which then becomes
the model for weddings around the world. Most
recently, we all watched in awe as Eva Longoria and
Tony Parker tied the knot in a simple civil ceremony
followed by an elaborate and unbelievably
expensive ceremony in Saint-Germain-l’Auxerroix
Church in Paris, followed by an even more elaborate
reception at Vaux-le-Vicomte, a 17th-Century
chateau outside the city. And it all took place on
the luckiest day ever: July 7, 2007 (7/7/07).
A generation ago, half the world stayed awake all
night or woke up early to watch as Prince Charles
of England wed Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981.
Long before that, little girls poured over fashion
magazines and news stories as Grace Kelly literally
became a princess when she answered “I do” (in
two ceremonies, one civil on April 18, the other
religious the following day) and became the wife
of Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. In 1906 the
celebrity wedding of the decade was celebrated
when Alice Roosevelt became the bride of Nicholas
Longworth in a White House ceremony. And,
believe it or not, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
sparked a whole raft of wedding traditions in 1840
that we still honor and adhere to today.
The weddings of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline
Bouvier and, later, of JFK, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
are examples of what American “royalty” can
achieve in terms of grace and style. Jack and Jackie
were married September 12, 1953 after an engagement
that lasted only three months. Their reception
at Hammersmith Farms in Newport, Rhode Island,
included a two-hour receiving line followed by
dancing and champagne for 1,200 guests. They
had a motorcycle escort from St. Mary’s Church in
Newport, where they were married by Cardinal
Cushing and where a papal blessing was read. Four
decades later, in the age of paparazzi, JFK, Jr. and
Carolyn Bessette chose to keep their wedding as
secret as possible and opted for the tiny African
Baptist Church in Cumberland Island, Georgia. They
were married on September 21, 1996 and managed
to keep their nuptials a very private affair, which
may have required more effort than the extravaganza
that was the wedding of Jack and Jackie.
These and other weddings of the high and mighty,
the famous, the beautiful, the “hot,” set the tone
for the rest of us. We aspire to look as blushing and
innocent as Diana did on her wedding day or to
wear a dress as stylish and flattering as Grace
Kelly’s still looks, even though she wore it more
than 50 years ago. Never mind that some of these
marriages ended in divorce or early death or wore
on through adultery, unhappiness, and difficulties
of various sorts. The marriage and the wedding
seem to be two very different things, and it is the
wedding with which we will concern ourselves in
the pages of this book, although we’ll bear in mind
that the marriage is the important thing and that
perfection is almost never totally possible. Still,
happiness is, and that is what you should hope for
on your wedding day.
On April 19, 1956, Grace Kelly became Princess
Grace of Monaco, in a high-necked, long-sleeved
gown, fitted over the torso with a billowing skirt
and composed of hundreds of yards of silk taffeta,
peau de soie, tulle, and lace. She wore a Juliet cap
decorated with seed pearls and a veil made from
90 yards of tulle. The gown was designed by MGM’s
costume designer, Helen Rose. Brides today still
emulate her style and grace.
The wedding is one day; the marriage is for a lifetime. So before you begin to plan the
wedding, make sure of one or two things. Most important, make sure you have chosen the
right person. Consider well, and if you have any doubts whatsoever, don’t do it. Marriage wasn’t
meant to be an undertaking that we enter into “until someone better comes along” or “as long as I still
enjoy spending time with you.” The vows you take on your wedding day are pretty clear about “’til death
us do part.” So don’t do it unless you really mean it. The wedding is a big deal, a happy day to celebrate
the beginning of your life together, but it’s not an end; it’s a beginning. The rest of your life follows.