Wedding traditions unveiled at DuPage Historical Museum

Have you ever wondered how much marriage can evolve over a century? Find out how the nature of nuptials has changed - or stayed the same - across DuPage County at "Wedding Traditions Unveiled," DuPage County Historical Museum's latest exhibit.

Museum visitors can explore the county's wedding traditions, see extravagant dresses, and find out what customs have stood the test of time and which have changed in more than a century.

The exhibit opens Saturday, Oct. 17, and continues through July 31 at 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton. Hours are 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and noon to 4 p.m. weekends.

The exhibit focuses on the approximately 100 years between the stately Victorian era and the tumultuous times of World War II.

"Today, many brides wear white, but that tradition did not start until after Queen Victoria married in 1840 in a white dress with orange blossoms," said Michelle Podkowa, museum manager and educator.

"Even until (the) 1890s, it was common to find brides in colored dresses because white dresses could be expensive and would often become dirty quickly."

Get a first look at the exhibit from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at the Engagement Party Exhibit Preview. Admission is $20 per person, $30 per couple. Register at dupagemuseum.org.

At the exhibit's grand opening from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, munch on light refreshments, tour the exhibit, and satisfy your curiosity by asking the curator whatever comes to mind. Admission is free.

Then, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, you can make your own necklace and bracelet set or design your own necktie and cuffs in a drop-in program suitable for ages 3 and older. The program is free, but registration is required at dupagemuseum.org.

Exhibit activities continue into the new year, when you can decorate a miniature hope chest to store your keepsakes on Saturday, Jan. 16, and absorb the history of wedding showers from Northwestern University Assistant Professor Michelle Weinberger on the same day. Registration opens Tuesday, Dec. 1, at dupagemuseum.org. Admission is $5, free for members.

Next spring, a Victorian wedding comes to the museum on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Shop nearly a dozen vendors at the wedding expo and get a peek into history with authentic demonstrations of a Victorian wedding, which were often orchestrated around superstitions and focused on keeping bad luck and evil spirits away from the newlyweds.

Admission is $10, free for visitors who bring an item purchased from the wedding registry, which will help supply museum programs.

For museum curator Ashley Downing, two Victorian-era dresses stand out.

"The daughter of one (original dress owner) and granddaughter of another decided to wear the wedding dresses at their own weddings," she said. "Many women save their dresses hoping that, one day, their daughters will want to wear them and the fact that in the 1930s and 1950s, someone thought the dress was so beautiful and memorable that they wanted to show their own family history (is) just amazing."

Guests can add their own experiences to the displays, too. The museum invites visitors to submit their wedding photos to be included in a public collage. Photos should be in JPEG format at 5-by-7 inches and at least 300 dpi. The cost is $10 per entry and the deadline is Saturday, Oct. 17.

The museum also has opened a wedding registry on Amazon.com. Interested parties can purchase items needed for school and Scout groups, workshop materials, collection materials, and other essential elements used for free events hosted by the museum or to care for the artifacts. Gift cards to put toward items on the registry also are accepted. Search DuPage Museum under Wish Lists to view the registry.

For information, visit dupagemuseum.org or call (630) 510-4941.

If you go

What: Wedding Traditions Unveiled

When: Saturday, Oct. 17, to July 31

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 430 p.m. weekdays; noon to 4 p.m. weekends

Where: DuPage Historical Museum, 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton

Cost: Free, donations accepted

Info: dupagemuseum.org or (630) 510-4941