Victorian bridal wear was just as intricate as the bridal dresses of today. With the wedding of Kate Middleton, Victorian wedding dresses are coming back into vogue. Lace sleeves and full skirts are more popular than ever and her timeless dress proved that Victorian style can be beautiful even in today’s modern world. But what would the real Victorian woman wear for her wedding? Here, we have a breakdown of the Victorian wedding dress so that you can create a real Victorian wedding look for yourself.

For undergarments, the Victorian bride wore a pair of bloomers with a chemise on top. A chemise is a sort of unshaped, short-sleeved gown that stopped just above the knees. Then, the bride would be corseted (ouch!), then an under petticoat, hoop skirt, and finally, an over petticoat. With all of these undergarments on, the bride was finally ready to put on the Victorian wedding dress.

There is no singular style of Victorian wedding dress. However, each one was always extravagant. Whether they were lined with feathers or made of expensive fabric, they all had some sort of elegance to them that made them special. Silks, satins, and taffetas were used to create the Victorian wedding dress, and lace was commonly used as a trim. Since modesty and chastity was valued in Victorian society, dresses normally covered the wearer fully. Sleeves, whether ¾ or full length, were a must. And, necklines didn’t have to be high on the neck, but never exposed cleavage. Extravagant pleating and trims were also not uncommon on Victorian wedding dresses. To complete the look, brides wore veils with headpieces and gloves.

Recollections has everything that you need for the Victorian wedding dress of your dreams. Most of our Victorian gowns can be made in white, so you can easily take the design you love and get it made as a traditional wedding dress. This way, you can customize your dress. Many of our Victorian dresses come with off-the-shoulder sleeves that show off a little more skin, and even though they weren’t traditional Victorian wedding dresses, they would be marvelous dresses for a wedding today! We also have all the veils, headpieces, gloves, shoes, and fans that you could possibly need to complete your wedding ensemble. Take a look at the wedding section of our website and get started putting together your perfect Victorian wedding today.