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Arts & Entertainment

Bridal Dresses to Bridezillas: The Evolution of American Weddings Exposed

Carol Wallace, author of "All Dressed in White: The Irresistible Rise of the American Wedding," talks about all things brides and white at the Bartow-Pell Mansion on Thursday.

American brides might think they're wearing white to symbolize purity and virginity, but that's not actually the case, according to Carol Wallace, who spoke Thursday at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum.

Wallace, the author of "All Dressed in White: The Irresistible Rise of the American Wedding," explored the evolution of American brides and weddings from somewhat of an anthropological approach.

Until Queen Victoria’s marriage in 1840, royal brides didn't wear white dresses and ceremonies were not public, Wallace said. Queen Victoria, however, broke the mold when she was transported by carriage to her nuptials, for all of the populous to see.

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Her fashion-forward approach took hold among the people of Great Britain and America.

Moving through the eras, Wallace explained how white dresses and wedding cakes became the norm. As more and more Americans of lower socioeconomic status took part in these traditions, consumerism and capitalism took over to “steer” the naïve brides into buying more than they needed.

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One recent trend Wallace explored was the way in which the bride has evolved into a diva-like celebrity, where she can act out and bring on a "bridezilla effect,” she said.

It may have taken some time for these lavish traditions to take hold, but it doesn't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon.

“They remain so strong," remarked Scott Lethbridge of the expected wedding hoopla. "So many other things have changed in life, but [this hasn’t]."

Bartow-Pell Mansion board president Marion Cooke of Pelham was fascinated by the fact that her grandmother and mother donned the formal wear much like the pictures shown during the presentation.

“It was almost like I was seeing my family out there,” she said. “There was a style that was followed by everybody. My wedding was much less formal, but had a lot of the same stereotypical things she was talking about, so it was very entertaining.”

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