To Have and To Hold-Then and Now

I have stated before my love for all things vintage. I can't wait to post new vintage items in my Etsy store. And there is nothing I love more than finding a loving home for one of my vintage pieces. However, my favorite things to list are vintage wedding dresses.

I love vintage wedding dresses. They tell a story from another time. Who wore it? How happy were they that day when they wore that dress to marry their true love?

This beautiful cream colored early 60s dress was just recently added to My Pink Hanger on Etsy. It is still perfect in every way. It was well taken care of through the years, a sign that it was truly treasured as must have been the love it symbolized.

Another treasure is this vintage crown wedding veil which is also cream colored. I added a new cream tulle veil to the backside of the crown. It is missing some pearls, but it is still beautiful and would look so gorge with the wedding dress above.

Last year, I found this green rayon dress from the 40s, still in pristine condition. It has small shoulder pads and a metal zipper in the back. There wasn't a stain, tear or snag in the whole garment. In war time, the traditional wedding dresses were set aside and brides wore more practical pieces that they could re-use. Suits and dresses such as this were typical in wedding pictures of the 40s. Because of the elegant simple beauty of this dress and the excellent condition that it was, I assume this too was a wedding dress from the past. 

When new brides would leave on their honeymoon,  they would carry with them a train case to hold their cosmetics and toiletries. The well dressed woman always had a train case. Today, train cases are used in vintage inspired weddings to hold the wedding cards. When the wedding is over, the train case is simply closed shut and the cards are taken away with the happy couple. 

I found this blue train case at a 'farmhouse' shabby chic sale in May. A homey and classic farmhouse set in the rural fields of North Dakota had several floors of vintage finds. Mine happened to be this blue train case with the monogrammed initials still on the front.

I like to think the initials could stand for 'a perfect pair,' when describing a happy couple.

I re-lined the interior of the case as the lining was stained and less than visually acceptable. I removed the destroyed mirror on top lid to use for another project and added a banner that spelled 'cards.'

When the wedding is over, the honeymoon can continue at home and the banner can be removed. What is left is a vintage treasure that can be used in a nice display for the home and a happy reminder of a special day.