Book Now
Legacy of the Plains Museum
2930 Old Oregon Trail
Gering, NE 69341
(308) 436-1989
info@legacyoftheplains.org
Legacy of the Plains Museum
  • Facebook
  • TripAdvisor
  • Instagram
  • Search ...
  • Home
  • Plan A Visit
    • Admission Prices
    • Exhibits
      • Indoor Exhibits
      • Outdoor Exhibits
      • Special Exhibits
    • Gift Barn
    • Tour Groups
    • Tour Western Nebraska
    • Hiking
    • Private Events
    • Testimonials
  • Events
    • Fundraisers
    • Japanese Hall Grand Opening
    • Oregon Trail Wagon Train
    • Oregon Trail Days
    • Halloween at the Museum
    • High Plains Christmas
    • Trees Along the Trail
    • Yuletide Lights on the Prairie
    • Harvest Festival
    • Bandana Benefit
    • Puzzles of the Past
    • Rug Hooking
    • Tractor Relay Across Nebraska
    • Pony Express Re-Ride
    • Draft Horse Driving Clinic
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • History
    • Our Future
    • LOTP Podcast – Voices on the Prairie Wind
    • Board of Directors/Staff
    • Our Partners
    • Blog & News
    • Contact Us
  • Our Collections
    • Donate to Our Collections
    • Library and Archive
      • Henderson Collection
      • Audiovisual Collections
      • Rare Publications
      • Archival Material
      • Farm Publications
  • Private Events
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Phase Two – Capital Campaign
    • Make A Donation
    • Volunteer
    • Attend a Fundraiser
      • Bandana Benefit
  • Japanese Hall

“And the Bride Wore…”: Summer of Weddings at Legacy of the Plains

7 years ago

This wool suit and linen wedding dress  worn in 1905.

Imagine Pachelbel’s Canon, the scent of fully-bloomed flowers greeting your senses, and an entire group of guests standing to watch the bride make her grand entrance. It’s easy to picture yourself here because we’ve all been to at least one wedding. Since summer is the busiest time of year for weddings, it was felt that having a wedding exhibit for this time of year was perfect. Inspiration was taken from summer weddings with their bright, floral elements and whimsical feel.

The progression of wedding dress styles over the past 130 years is the main highlight of this display. A peach colored 1893 wedding dress is the first dress on display in the gallery. It serves as a great example for wedding attire in the 19th century. During this time, a dress worn for a wedding wasn’t just a wedding dress. Instead, it was likely the bride’s Sunday best or a very nice dress. Brides didn’t expect to wear the dress on only one occasion. Instead, these dresses were worn over again for different special occasions. White fabric was nearly impossible to clean by hand and was reserved for the wealthiest members of society, which further p

Evolution of wedding dresses does not stop at the style. The change in colors, materials, and embellishments represent shifts in psychology over decades. Ideals of what a woman should look like, especially on her wedding day, heavily contributed to this. Fashion trends drew directly from the ideals as women tried to fit into society’s roles for them. A major influence of changes in styles came from Queen Victoria of England who wore a white, lace covered gown to her 1840 wedding. While the silhouettes and embellishments changed considerably over time, white dresses grew in popularity after 1840. The spread of illustrated magazines also contributed to this increase in white dresses being worn.

Over time, the appearance of wedding dresses changed as can be seen in the exhibit. Styles turned from more simplistic to elegant as satin and other fabrics were worn in increasing numbers. The transitions from the modest dresses from the early 20th century are seen in dresses from the 1960s and later. Shorter sleeves, unique embellishments, and different styles all marked changing fashions as well as perspectives on what was appropriate for a woman to wear.

Three wedding dresses on display  from the 1980s to the 2000s.

The dresses on display may take the centerpiece for this exciting exhibit yet there are a collection of wedding related artifacts on display. The accessories worn along with wedding attire as part of the whole ensemble are often as special as the wedding dresses themselves. Whether its heirloom jewelry, a borrowed pair of shoes, or something other significant to the couple, these personal touches always give special meanings to a wedding.

Artifacts on display in this exhibit range from a wedding shawl to  dried flowers that were once used as corsages to a rocking chair given as a wedding gift. Items from the archives, including marriage certificates and wedding portraits are also on display.

And the Bride Wore… will be in the Temporary Gallery until the end of August. Admission is free to this exhibit but donations are encouraged.

A fundraising event will also accompany this exhibit. Legacy of the Brides Historical Fashion Show. This fun event, featuring a light lunch and a fashion show, will take place on Saturday, June 9th at 11 AM. Wedding dresses will be worn by models and a light lunch will be served after the show! If you would like to attend this event, tickets are for sale now at the museum.

Prices are staggered depending on the seating. VIP seating, at the end of the catwalk, are $25. The mid-level seats are $20 and the back row seats are $15.

For more information on any of the topics covered in this post or if you would like to purchase tickets for the fashion show, please call us!

dressexhibitexhibit hallfashionfashion showfloral arrangementsflowershistorical fashionhistorical wedding fashionshistorymuseummuseumsRotating Exhibitseasonal exhibitspecial exhibitsummertemporary exhibitweddingwedding dresswedding dressesweddings

Share

  • Home
  • Plan A Visit
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Our Collections
  • Support Us

Archives

  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • November 2024
  • July 2024
  • March 2024
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • June 2023
  • November 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • September 2021
  • April 2021
  • December 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • June 2015
  • March 2015
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • March 2014

Hours of Operation

Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Legacy of the Plains Museum
2930 Old Oregon Trail
Gering, NE 69341
(308) 436-1989
info@legacyoftheplains.org
  • Facebook
  • TripAdvisor
  • Instagram
  • Search ...


Copyright © 2025 Legacy of the Plains Museum
Produced in part by a grant from the Nebraska Tourism Commission
1-888-444-1867 www.VisitNebraska.com