I love fashion history! I am very picky too about my fashion history to be accurate. I mean I got upset at Barnes and Nobles because they had a cover of Little Women with women in Empire waist dresses and a copy of Emma in Victorian dresses those are backwards. Of course at that time I was in high school and none of my friends understood but this is example of how specific I like it to be.
When I am writing a story I always want to make sure the way I describe dresses is historically accurate. I have a whole pin board on pinterest board dedicated to Edwardian Fashion. This part of the story was really fun as I not only got to look at Edwardian wedding dresses I also learned about Edwardian wedding customs. Apparently they didn't have receptions like we do today usually the married couple were just escorted to the train station and then they were off on their honeymoon. (I might take some artistic liberties here).
Here are some links I used for my writing
1. The Wedding
2. Wedding Traditions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday passed uneventfully, Mrs. James threw a little dinner in Kathryn's honor. Mrs. James insisted that it end early to make sure the wedding party slept well. Truth be told no one slept very well. Kathryn woke up several time to make sure she had not over slept and she got up walk to the closet and looked her dress. They had found it last spring in one of the best shop in New York that imported directly from Paris. It was a beautiful cream white silk with lace cuff on the sleeves, lace around the neck and some subtle beading in the bust line and skirt that flowed into at least two foot train. Her veil came with its own tiara that fell half the way of the train of the dress and had the same beaded pattern along the edge. It would all be glamorous and while Kathryn longed for a quiet ceremony she loved this dress and felt like a princess when she stepped into it. Her mother told her face glowed when she first tried it on in that New York shop. She felt her face glow every time she looked at the dress. Looking at the dress now she could not wait till Nicholas saw her in it tomorrow.
"Miss," a voice startled her.
Kathryn flinched then turned to see her petite maid "Bea, you startled me."
"I am sorry miss, I saw the light under the door and I was just making sure things were all right."
"Yes Bea, things are wonderful. It is a pretty dress isn't it"
"Yes Miss. You will be a princess in it."
"Thank you Bea."
"Do you need anything Miss?"
"No Bea, you go back to bed, tomorrow is going to be a long day and mother will run you raged if you are not will rested."
"Yes Miss, you need your sleep too, we would not want you falling asleep at your own wedding."
"I won't Bea, I am too excited."
"Yes Miss, good night Miss. The future Mrs. Nicholas Danford."
The sound of her new name sent a thrill up her spine. She walked back to her bed and fell asleep till Bea woke up for good. The James house buzzed starting at sunrise. Mrs. James made sure everyone ate a full breakfast especially Kathryn. She was not going to have Kathryn gouge on food at the luncheon making her look wild beast on the biggest day of her life. Kathryn was then tugged into a corset. Kathryn could tell Bea was ordered to pull the strings extra tight, she could also tell that these orders made Bea uncomfortable as Kathryn winced. She took her last deep breath of the day and told Bea as happily as she could that it was all right. She tried to laugh it off that beauty was pain.
The church was done to the tops filled with the fragrance of yellow and orange color trumpet lilies that made the air smell sweet for miles around and were the perfect color for autumn. Mrs. James thought lilies would be fragrant but Kathryn wanted lilies more than anything. They were no in season anymore, so they had to be specially grown for the occasion. No expense was spared and Kathryn used the fact that her mother wanted to prove to all of Boston that her daughter was worthy of the Danford name as leverage to get any lavish touch she wanted. Though the church was filled with yellow and orange lilies Kathryn just carried a simple bouquet of white roses that were the same shade of the cream that match her dress.
