Let’s embark on a 100-year journey through the history of nuptials…
1920
What better way to usher in the Jazz Age than with the wedding of the era’s most iconic couple? F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre exchanged vows in front of just eight guests on April 3, 1920 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
1919
After World War I, as formal weddings became more popular, those without full-time social secretaries realized they needed help wrangling the caterer, the invitation printer, the florist, and the seamstress—and so, the wedding planner was born.
1923
Three models wear wedding dresses typical of the 1920s, with slim lines, short hemlines, and cloche veils.
1925
During the Jazz Age, wedding vendors began to see the profit potential of marketing to brides, and stores began opening bridal departments that offered all kinds of merchandise geared toward weddings, including white bridal dresses.
1927
Marshall Field’s invented the wedding registry in 1924, and the idea quickly caught on at other department stores in the following years as a way for couples to let their friends and family know which china, silver, and crystal patterns they preferred. Here, a collection of wedding gifts sits on display in 1927.
1928
The first fully automatic photographic film developing machine was patented in 1928, paving the way for wedding photography as we know it today. In the late 19th century, some couples began hiring a photographer to come to the wedding venue in order to pose for a formal wedding picture, but it wasn’t until after World War II, once film roll technology was available and lighting techniques had improved, that photographers began capturing the entire wedding event.
1932
Proof that couples have been attempting unique and quirky weddings for decades: This couple seals the deal with a kiss on a surfboard on December 3, 1932, just off Catalina Island, California.
1933
Bring on the open bar! Prohibition was repealed on December 5, 1933, meaning wedding guests could now legally raise a glass to the newlyweds.
1941
Heiress Gloria Vanderbilt wed movie producer Pat DiCicco in Beverly Hills on December 28,1941. Even back then, the future fashion designer was ahead of her time: Even though cake toppers (reportedly) made their debut during the Victorian era, they didn’t become popular until the 1950s.
1943
Actress Carole Landis may have danced the Jitterbug to big band music, as was customary at the time, during her 1943 reception. Landis married Air Force captain Thomas Wallace on January 23.
1944
Wartime weddings, such as this English couple’s town hall ceremony, often saw the groom wearing his military uniform, while the bride donned her best dress in lieu of a gown.
1946
A New Jersey couple tied the knot at Palisades Park, on the same carousel where they met, before World War II began.
1962
After Audrey Hepburn performed his song “Moon River” in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Henry Mancini won the 1962 Grammy for Record of the Year. The song went on to become a popular choice for bands to play during wedding processionals.
