Fashion Show Reveals century Of wedding Gowns

Many a bride likes to go to their wedding wearing dress inspired by a royal look, but some will not realise just how many examples they may be able to draw on.

Of course, in the modern era of colour TV and celebrity magazine photoshoots, we have plenty of high quality pictures to look at for inspiration. In recent years we’ve had Kate and Wills, Harry and Meghan, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank and Princess Beatrice’s nuptials with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzo.

However, Ripon Cathedral in North Yorkshire has gone a step further with an exhibition of a century of royal wedding dresses from the UK and abroad.

Titled A Century of Wedding Gowns, the show began on June 23rd and will run until August 21st. Visitors will be able to see the dresses worn on their wedding day by coming to see a close copy of the gowns worn by Princess Diana, Queen Victoria, the Duchess of Cambridge, Duchess of Sussex, Duchess of York, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne.

In addition, the gown worn by Princess Grace of Monaco will also be on show, while on July 29th those quick enough to have booked tickets will be able to enjoy a private show of another 40 gowns, with commentary on each by curator Kevin Thornhill.

Visitors may not just marvel at the variety, style, splendour and intricate designs on display, but also not how much styles have changed - and how much hasn’t. Put together, it may provide a myriad of ideas about the design you might want to be wearing on your own big day.

Of course, very few people have anything like the means to replicate the scale or splendour of a royal wedding, and there will of course not be the crowds of public well-wishers or huge media attention. But the dress is something every bridge can choose to emulate, as the centrepiece of their big day and so many memories of it afterwards.