Here comes the bride! A look at wedding gowns through the decades

There’s something so special about weddings – whether it’s the union of two people, the palpable feeling of love in the air or the bringing together of family and friends from all walks of life, it’s pretty obvious why it’s forever remembered as the best day of your life. But despite everything else involved in the day, one of the most enjoyable parts for every bride-to-be is choosing the dress of their dreams.

Throughout the years, wedding dresses have gone through so many style changes it’s hard to keep up. From big and fluffy to sleek and simple, each decade has bought a new twist to the classic white gown. And what better way to trawl through the best dresses of the years than to hold a nostalgic wedding expo that rustles up the memories for those who need it the most.

Earlier this week, to celebrate their carer and lifestyle coordinator Cristina Plevko’s wedding, Bupa Aged Care Barrabool decided to host an expo that would help the residents to relive some of the happiest days of their lives. As a community, they came together to dig up photos and other memorabilia from their weddings, including the most important part of all – their dresses.

With an eclectic collection of garments including classic styles dating all the way back to 1931, to modern day designs from this year – the expo showcased some amazing frocks from across history. The comparison between new and old dresses as well as seeing firsthand how styles have adapted and evolved throughout the years was as interesting for the younger participants as it was for the older generations.

With a runway set up to show off the frocks and a pool table stacked full of nostalgic wedding albums, residents were taken on a trip down memory lane to see dresses of all shapes, sizes and styles that perfectly reflected the decade they came from. Cristina said the event helped to bring back so many memories, even for those who weren’t able to bring in their own items.

“We have a resident who had her mother’s wedding dress on display beside her own wedding dress, her daughter’s wedding dress and her granddaughter’s wedding dress – it was surreal to see the generations come alive through their garments,” she said. “A lot of the residents have said it brought back memories of their own weddings.”

When you look through the history of weddings, so many dresses were such clear reflections of their time periods as well as the celebrity inspirations that were popular back then. For instance, after Princess Diana stepped out in her monumental gown in 1981, wedding dresses for the rest of the decade were styled very specifically around the long train, puffy sleeves and big bouquet – much like this quintessential ’80s dress shown above!

Meanwhile, this dress that looks like it was plucked straight from the 1980s shows off everything that made this decade great from unapologetic frills to a flashy veil. The iconic bow on the back of the dress was of course inspired by yet another royal, Sarah Ferguson, who after weeks of negative speculation from the media about what kind of dress she was going to wear, stepped out in a stunning gown that kicked off trends all over the world!

Meanwhile, the more traditional and conservative dresses of the past also reminded everyone how much more adventurous and detailed dresses have become since the days of plain white with minimal additions. This comparison shown above is a great example of the different paths brides can take from intricate and low-cut to high-necked and timelessly simple – while both still being equally as beautiful in their own ways!

These fantastic frocks show off some of the more colourful options that were on display at the expo. It wasn’t always people’s first choice to go stark white – in fact, many people saw it as a little too overdone. For some, a simple off-white, like this beautiful silk dress above, was the best option – particularly for those traditionalists that had been married before and did not believe in wearing white a second time.

The expo was the perfect place to reminisce on all things love and fashion and reminded everyone of those classic fashion trends they might have forgotten about. But even for those who regret their dress design choices, just remember – everything comes back in style one day!