Category Archives: matrimony

The 18th century: when marriage was a sexy prospect

Posted on February 23, 2011 by

What did eighteenth-century men want? Prof. Amanda Vickery, Royal Holloway University of London 11 November 2010   Such is the gloom that surrounds settling down today and the glamour that attaches to mature bachelor freedom, it is hard to imagine … Continue reading →

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The changing meaning of weddings

Posted on November 19, 2010 by

Interview with Rebecca Mead, author of “One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding” by Hannah Wallace, salon.com, May 21, 2007 Rebecca Mead’s obsession with the marketing of weddings began three years ago, when she wrote a story for the … Continue reading →

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Royal Weddings, Realities and Fantasy

Posted on November 18, 2010 by

The Princess Bride: Royal Weddings for Everyone by Kathy E. Shrout, April 25, 2011, rd Magazine   Tiaras. All the best brides are wearing them. It’s a fairy-tale opener with a contemporary coda: Once upon a time, Prince William, the … Continue reading →

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Chinese brides reenact Jack Vettriano

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

Beautiful Me! Chinese wedding photography is a parade of excess and ambition, an elaborate and expensive rite of passage, and often more prized than the ceremony itself. by Corneliu Cazacu and Christina Larson, Financial Post, November 2, 2010 Walk into … Continue reading →

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It doesn’t pay to elope

Posted on November 4, 2010 by

Warning: Eloping Will Leave You A Sheetless Wretch by Margaret Hartmann, jezebel.com, July 23, 2010 If you thought weddings were about making a commitment to the person you love, prepare to be schooled by this vintage ad. Apparently they’re all … Continue reading →

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Would Betty’s divorce have been that easy?

Posted on August 28, 2010 by

Sociologists on ‘Mad Men’ by Sarah Shannon, contexts.org, July 27, 2010 They may be big fans of the show, but some sociologists are calling out historical inaccuracies in AMC’s “Mad Men.” According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “As historians, most of … Continue reading →

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The New Woman and the Bachelor Girl

Posted on August 23, 2010 by

The New Woman, 1880-1915 by Evangeline Holland, edwardianpromenade.com, March 17, 2009 The Edwardian era appeared rife with social movements, but none caused as much furor as the “New Woman.” From Paris to London to New York to San Francisco, this … Continue reading →

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In the words of that lovelorn teen Taylor Swift, “go pick out a white dress” … 1890 style

Posted on July 20, 2010 by

Ah, the big princessy wedding gown. It was worn through the early/mid Victorian era (when Queen Victoria made white the bridal colour), in the 50s by Grace Kelly, and in the 80s by Princess Di. But what about wedding fashion in the non-poofy decades? For … Continue reading →

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And you thought the wedding industry was nutty now…

Posted on July 7, 2010 by

The Art of Dressing a Bride, March 1894 “Of all people in the world the French are the ones who most positively combine sentiment and frocks. The rich lace, the costly jewel, the much-trimmed gown never belongs to the unmarried … Continue reading →

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Settling for Mr. Not-Half-Bad: A 1930s Lori Gottlieb

Posted on March 11, 2010 by

How I Made My Marriage Happy: A Woman’s Personal Story Few of Us Find Everything We Want in Marriage, But One May Make the Most of What One Gets From Physical Culture magazine, 1930 HOW often have you remarked, as … Continue reading →

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