The Bride's Trousseau

A 1920 bride from plaquedelamode.blogspot.com

       Now, it would not be fair to my women readers if I should fail to answer that anxious question: "What did she wear" Well, as in this day, she generally dressed in white. And thereby hangs a tale. From distant Saxon days even into the eighteenth century the poorer bride came to the wedding arrayed in a plain white robe as a public warning that since she brought nothing to the marriage, her husband was not responsible for her debts. Of course, however, brides soon began to add some little touch of color, and then what care in the choosing of it! Blue was for constancy and green for youth; but in some sections these might not be used because of feuds between families using these tints in their liveries. Yellow might not be worn, as it stood for jealousy; golden might not, as it meant avarice.

       The Anglo-Saxon bride went to the wedding with her hair hanging loose, as a sign of freedom; but upon reaching her new home, immediately bound it up, as a sign of submission. In the days of Shakespeare the veil began to take the place of the flowing tresses; but this, however, was not original with the British; for centuries earlier the Roman and Hebrew brides had worn yellow veils, while the early Christians of southern Europe had enveloped both man and wife in one large cloth. Whatever was lacking, however, in gorgeousness of dress was compensated for among all nations by the profusion of flowers. Among the Greeks and Italians the myrtle and the olive were interwoven with white and purple flowers, the white symbolizing the girl's purity and the purple the Savior's blood; while among the British, roses, myrtle, and rosemary bedecked every bride.

       ''There's rosemary," said the bewildered Ophelia, "that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember;" I and she might have added, "There's the rose; that 's for love and secrecy." There was long a beautiful custom for each guest to dip his sprig of rosemary into his cup of wine before drinking to the couple 's health. Then, too, the bride (if she were not a widow) and the groom wore garlands of wheat, as a symbol of plentifulness and increase; and in our own day, the bridal wreath of orange blossoms possesses the same meaning. Garlands, garlands everywhere, so many that often men had to be hired to carry them in the procession. Even the rejected suitors wore them the garland of gray willow that the Cavalier poet, Herrick, tells us about:

"A willow garland thou didst send,

Perfumed, last day, to me,

Which did but only this portend,

I was forsook by thee."

       Besides the flowers, there was the true love-knot worn by both bride and groom — an ornament introduced by the Danes in the ninth century, and called by them the "trulofa," the troth. Three ornaments there were that only a bride was supposed to wear: a ring, for a pledge; a brooch, for virgin innocence; and a garland, as a crown of victory for temptations resisted. Ah, your early bride doubtless had as many worries over her trousseau as your modern lass.

       If there was trouble in the actual marrying there was perhaps more in gaining the right to marry. It would seem that a medieval lover had to investigate his bride's pedigree for generations back. The Church of the ninth century forbade the marriage of first cousins; by 1100 second cousins were denied the right; and, later, unions of third cousins were illegal. A widow might not wed her husband's brother, cousin, or other near relative; a person might not marry his or her godfather or godmother; parents might not marry either godparent; a man and a woman having the same godparents might not unite; the godfather and the godmother of the same child might not; even any persons who had touched the babe at the christening became spiritual relatives and might never choose one another. A man had to be so careful about falling in love in that period!

       And, then, there were the bans. What groom could ever be sure that some scamp might not hop up during their reading and blurt out some half-forgotten escapade? And yet these bans were absolutely necessary. Indeed, even after 1750 the Church in England was so strict about irregular marriages that couples began to flee to the little green village of Gretna in the southeast corner of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, where preachers asked for neither bans nor license. Who has not heard of Gretna Green? It is said that many a post-boy on the border made a fortune in those wild races to the famous town. And yet, even if the couple stayed at home and had the bans read, the bride might not go to the church to defend herself; for if a maid heard her own bans read, all her children would be deaf and dumb!

       I may not be a brave man; but it would seem to me that in those times I should have preferred to remain single and pay my bachelor tax. Carl Holiday, 1919 

      "Lingerie fit for a Bride.This charming film, narrated by Miss Ratherly Stern was originally a promo for Newform wedding lingerie, made from rayon silk - the synthetic fabric rage of the 1940's, and is a unique example of the vintage wedding trousseau on film. The traditional trousseau, included bridal accessories,lingerie, toiletries, jewelry, and makeup. Up until the 1940's even bed linens and bath towels were bought as part of her wedding regalia for her new home. Footage courtesy Prelinger Archive"