Look Like a Victorian Bride in a Victorian Wedding Dress

Even today, you can look like a true Victorian bride in a Victorian wedding dress. The Victorian era is a popular theme for weddings, since it tends to include all the romance, luxury and tradition any couple could desire. It's also one of the oldest eras from which you can still find and purchase actual antique clothing.

Creating the perfect bridal look is as important for a Victorian wedding theme as it is for any wedding. Luckily, most traditional wedding gowns are fashioned directly from Victorian styles. So it's easy to draw on the Victorian era for inspiration or to take the whole Victorian look and run with it.

Dress

The most vital rule for any Victorian bride is to look for skirt hems that are ankle-length or longer. No self-respecting, rich, adult women from the Victorian era would dream of showing any area above her ankle. Even the less fortunate women from the period would show only a smidgen more leg than that.

Skirts should be full or slightly swept back and should contain some sort of bustle. The Victorian era actually spans many different styles, so anything from large hoops to a small bustle can be used to shape the skirt.

A modest neckline was also common, though some leniency can be used with this rule. The bodice was always fitted, and usually a separate garment from the skirt. The sleeves on a Victorian wedding dress could have lace, or they could have as much as 20 yards of satin ribbon.

Indulgent fabrics and lavish decorations are definitely a perfect Victorian touch. Complicated laces, imported silks, and pearl beading are the calling card of true Victorian style. Lace was both a favorite craft and a favorite material, so it was a commonly used decoration.

Veil

Veils changed during the Victorian era, starting with a single, exquisite piece of lace draped like a shawl over the head to long, decorated, multi-layered veils created from tulles, silks and lace. These veils started as shorter decorations, but they grew to the full, Cathedral length styles seen these days.

Flowers and ribbons were the most popular forms of Victorian veil decoration, with some veils using a full flower circlet to hold or completely replace the material. Hand-beaded veils, intricate ribbon embroidery and edging were also common additions for Victorian times.