Victorian style bridal headpieces and veils are the crowning touch to the bridal outfit. Victoriana tends to be intricate and delicate, with fine embroidery and feminine details. Brides today can wear a Victorian crown of flowers and veil to enhance even a simple wedding gown.
Queen Victoria and Wedding Fashion
The Victorian era was in its heyday over a century ago, but the bridal fashions of Queen Victoria’s reign still influence brides today. It was Queen Victoria who was the first bride to wear all white, according to a statement quoted on the Victorian Bridal Museum website. Queen Victoria wore a formal white wedding gown made of white satin and Honitin lace for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.
Before Queen Victoria started the new bridal trend in England, brides simply wore their most formal dress, which was any color.The Victorian Bridal Museum, which is located in Orange, California, displays pictures of Victorian bridal fashions on their website. The museum displays over 40 gowns dating from 1835 to 1935. Eve Faulkner has made researching he weddings and formal customs of the Victorian era of a lifetime.
Victorian Headpieces
One of the most popular accessories or the Victorian era bride was a crown of orange blossoms. The flowers are a fragrant yellow-white bloom that symbolizes fertility. During the off season, when orange blossoms were not available, Victorian brides wore orange blossom crowns made of wax. Today the look of orange blossoms can be achieved with a crown of silk flowers.
Bridal headdresses have been the crowning glory of wedding fashions for centuries. During the Victorian era, brides usually wore a circlet, wreath or coronet on the head. The circlet was made of flowers, herbs or greenery.
Floral headdresses were often made of roses, lavender or orange blossoms. Country maidens would wind wildflowers into a wreath. Royal brides wore a crown of jewels, rather than the floral crown.
Orange blossoms were a traditional floral headpiece that was popular in Victorian times.Orange blossoms were a auspicious blossom or a wedding, as the blooms symbolized purity, chastity and innocence. They also represented fruitfulness and fertility. Orange trees originated in China and were brought to Europe during the great Crusades.
The lavish coronet of flowers were placed on the head. Long veils of tulle cascaded down to the floor, creating a beautiful cloud of illusion behind the bride.Brides wore their hair in elaborate updos with braids, ringlets and curls.
A Victorian Look Today
You can get a Victorian look or your wedding by wearing a crown of silk flowers or pearls with a long veil. Veils can be purchased at bridal salons or on line. There are specialty patterns or vintage veils and wedding dresses.
Browse through bridal magazines and bridal shop website for ideas for your personal Victorian look.
Resources:
To Gather Orange Blossoms by Cornelia Powell in Victoriana Online Magazine
The Victorian Bridal Museum, Orange, California (online)
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