Vintage Wedding Dresses at the Movies: my Top Three unveiled!

Dear Reader,
What fun I've had truffling through these wonderful old movies to find my very favourite vintage wedding dresses! And now I'm delighted to share my Top 3...

3. It Happened One Night (starring Claudette Colbert, 1934)

Never seen this wonderful 1930s screwball comedy by Frank Capra? Seek it out - you have such a treat in store!

The charming Claudette Colbert wears a slinky satin 1930s wedding dress by Robert Kalloch, one of the biggest Hollywood trendsetters of the 30s and 40s.

And there's that lovely Juliet Cap veil again! In this case, full length and swirling around the base of her gown... fabulous! I am so inspired by these pretty veils at the moment. A lovely addition to my Top 3.

2. Funny Face (starring Audrey Hepburn, 1957)
In this 1950s musical, Audrey is actually modelling the dress, rather than getting married. 

This gorgeous gown is one of Audrey's most iconic looks - a perfect blend of 1950s modern and romantic, with its ballerina-length net skirt, slim-fitting bodice, and the chic boat neckline Audrey always favoured. I love too the pretty veil, fastened with its tiny bow...

The dress was designed by Hubert De Givenchy who was working on the film with Edith Head - another of the all-time-great costume designers. Givenchy had given Audrey many of his gowns to wear in her earlier film Sabrina. When Head won the Best Costume Design Oscar for Sabrina, Givenchy never received proper credit. So Audrey went out of her way to see that he received full credit on Funny Face. She and the designer became lifelong friends. 

1. The Razor's Edge (starring Gene Tierney, 1946)
And finally... my number one is.... drum roll... the wonderful actress Gene Tierney swathed in head-to-toe 1940s lace wedding dress by Oleg Cassini.

Gene was engaged to Russian-born costumer designer Cassini, and he designed this glorious dress for their own wedding. But her parents opposed the marriage and in a romantic twist, they eloped. So Gene wore the dress for her film instead!

Sadly, the film was panned by the critics. But the dress... I think you'll agree is a perfect success! 

So there it is: my very favourite vintage wedding dresses from the movies. I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed choosing them. Please do stop by my facebook page and let me know which of your favourites I've missed!

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you missed the rest of my Top Ten Vintage Wedding Dresses from the Movies, check it out 

Here...!

And here...!

Vintage Wedding Dresses at the Movies: the countdown continues...

Dear Reader,
Here we are... the second instalment in my Top 10 vintage wedding dresses from the movies. So many glorious gowns to choose from!

7. High Society (starring Grace Kelly, 1956)
Another fabulous dress by Helen Rose, one of the great Hollywood costume designers of the 1940s and 1950s. First, take a look at the designer's original sketch...

And now, at the dress itself... Perfection!

Aside from her Hollywood costumes, Helen Rose is of course most famous for designing Grace Kelly's own iconic wedding dress. What a beauty.

6. The Godfather (Simonetta Stefanelli as Appollonia, 1972)
The Godfather includes two gorgeous wedding dress scenes. Appollonia's demure head-to-toe lace dress for the simple Sicilian country wedding is my favourite. (And one of my favourite movie wedding scenes too.)

5. The movies of screen goddess, Billie Dove (1920s)
Stunning beauty Billie Dove started as a Ziegfeld Follies girl at the age of 14, and went on to become one of the biggest stars of silent film. So many of her glamorous 1920s dresses would be wonderful for a wedding... 

Some of Billie's films are lost now, so it's hard to choose a favourite. She played a bride in at least two movies. Would it be cheating to include all Billie's gorgeous dresses in my Top 10?

And remember the Juliet cap veils we were thinking about last week, here she is in a stunning example...

At the height of her fame, Billie was more popular than even Greta Garbo. Jazz singer Billie Holliday is said to have named herself after her. Let's remember her with these beautiful images.

4. Come Dance with Me (starring Brigitte Bardot, 1959)

And my last choice for today? La Bardot wearing a classic late 1950s lace wedding dress in this silly French movie...

I've had so much fun choosing. Do check back to see my Top 3, and post your own favourites on my facebook page here. And to enjoy lots more lovely original vintage dresses, click here.

Thanks for looking

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you like this post, check out

1930s Wedding Dresses, the Decade of Glamour

Vintage Wedding Dresses in the Movies: What's your favourite?

Dear Reader,

Ask anyone their Top 10 wedding movies, and the same films appear over and over. From My Best Friend's Wedding to Bridesmaids, from Twilight to Sex and the City.

Well, you probably know by now that I'm a fan of old movies. (We know, we know, I hear you cry!) Over the next few days, I'll reveal my Top 10 of fabulous vintage wedding dresses from the movies. The countdown starts here...

10. Emma (starring Gwyneth Paltrow, 1996)

In the film based on Jane Austen's wonderful novel, Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Emma, in a charming Empire line (high waisted) dress. 

In 1815 (when the story is set) this would have been the height of fashion. Dresses were made in soft flowing fabrics such as muslin, and corsets were not worn. Instead, long flesh-coloured pantaloons were worn under the dress!

9. Father of the Bride (starring Elizabeth Taylor, 1950)

In Father of the Bride, Elizabeth Taylor’s magnificent figure is supported as only a 1950s dress can. Her fabulous dress is by famous costume designer Helen Rose.

Helen Rose also designed Elizabeth Taylor's own wedding gown when she married her first husband Nicky Hilton in 1950.

Some of you may remember that Elizabeth Taylor married a remarkable 9 times, so there are plenty of dresses to choose from! You can see more of her wedding dresses here.

8. The Good Shepherd (starring Angelina Jolie, 2006)

In this Skull-and-Bones spy thriller about the birth of the CIA, Angelina plays Clover Russell in an array of fabulous 1930s-inspired dresses. Her ivory lace 'debutante' dress (above and below) would make a wonderful simple wedding gown. 

But for Clover's society wedding, Oscar-nominated costume designer Ann Roth created this sumptuous and slinky satin 1930s-style dress. (Ann Roth designed for some truly iconic films such as Midnight Cowboy, Klute and The English Patient).

So that's just the first taste of my Top 10. More to follow this week! Now, what's yours...? Do check out my facebook page, tell me what I've missed and add your own favourites right here!

Thanks for looking, 

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

Choosing a veil for your vintage wedding dress.

Dear Reader,

I am always on the look-out for lovely accessories for my clients, and recently I've been thinking about veils.

The right veil can add so much to a beautiful vintage wedding dress. Just think of the wonderful images of Kate Moss in her Juliet cap veil. And of course, the iconic Grace Kelly...

I rarely find vintage-style veils that work so beautifully, so I have been thinking for some time of designing my own range of Heavenly veil. I'm delighted to have found a veil-maker whose work is amazing quality - and have seized the opportunity to work with her!

We're very busy designing a small exclusive range, launching in just a few weeks. The first is inspired by cloche or cap veils from the 1930s which were worn low on the forehead. These are often called Juliet caps - based on Shakespeare's play Romeo & Juliet, as the original drawings showed Juliet wearing a neat, fitted cap. 

Our updated version will be worn slightly further back, for a softer more flattering look - like the gorgeous style worn by Kate Moss.

Our Heavenly veils have a special style of lace embroidery called Cornelli and are all made by hand. (Even the delicate silk rose trims are hand-made!) I'll be launching the first two styles in a few weeks with a photo-shoot to show them off. But for now I can't resist sharing a glimpse of how pretty they are...

So keep watching this space - I want you to be the first to see them please!

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you like this post, why not try

My Guide to 1930s Vintage Wedding Dresses

A Guide to Vintage Lace Wedding Dresses