So, the Birdy totally made fun of the Royal Wedding hysteria with a funny post, but it did put me in a bit of a Jaunty matrimonial Mood. No, no -- not keeping any big secrets, as there's likely no church wedding bells ringing for me anytime soon, but after seeing Kate's great gown, it made me think of one thing: Grace Kelly would approve.
It got me thinking about my top favorite brides and their dresses, both real and fictional. It's funny that they're all in that similar classic era of full-length gowns, lacy veils and oh yes... modesty. Not to say that I've seen a lot of brides walk down the aisle in something inappropriate, but there's nothing wrong with covered shoulders and ladylike gloves. In the current times of too-much skin and too-little fabric, it makes these brides look positively cutting-edge.
Of course, my favorite bride is Grace Kelly {1}, truly the girl who would become a princess, just like in the fairy tales. Honestly, with her perfect proportions and swan-like features, you could have thrown a burlap sack on her and marched her down the aisle and she'd look like a queen. My next favorite real-life bride is of course Jacqueline Bouvier {2}, moments before she became Mrs. Kennedy. The photos of her wedding to "Jack," in the days before the presidency, before the tragedies, definitely before Marilyn, you can't help but look at those wedding photos and see all the girlish hopes and dreams lighting up her smile. It's the kind of optimism we should all be hopeful for. I'm sure there's no irony lost in the fact that these two classic brides had a life marred with sadness, but they remain evergreen in photos and memory, forever held up as shining examples of stylish ladylike grace. And who could forget the mother of all brides -- Elizabeth Taylor {3}, in the original 1950 movie, Father of the Bride. Forget that Steve Martin version, which yes, is charming enough. The original, with the stunning Elizabeth Taylor in a beautiful wedding gown, will take your breath away. Again, it's hard not to crown her as one of the most famous brides, given her many trips down the aisle, but it must be grand to go through it so many times, right?
Jaunty Fine Print: photos from MiamiWeddingPlannerBlog, IMDB.com, and Fashion Bride Files
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