How Weddings Compare – the ’50s and the 2000s

Ever wondered how weddings have changed over time? What makes a wedding today different from a wedding, say, in the ’50s? How were the weddings of the 50’s (the era of some of our grandparents) different from ours?

To put you in the picture, the 1950s was post-war, pre-60s revolution. Depending on when in the 1950s you were married depended on how much the restrictions of the great depression still affected you.

Clothing had remained very much the same since the liberation of the ’20s and little had changed in fashion. Women still wore gloves, hats and formal shoes to occasions, and wedding dresses weren’t all that glamorous.

The 1950s

Weddings were planned in very little time by comparison to today
You got married anything from 6 months to a year within meeting
They typically happened in the local town hall, and were rather formal
Family and friends came to the wedding
A buffet sit-down dinner was the usual reception
Hairstyles were predominantly short and curly, and hats or veils were essential (they were only not worn on very informal occasions)
The sleeveless princess-line skirt was popular (think Jackie Kennedy)
Hiring a dress cost a fraction of the cost it does now
Family chipped in to help plan and fund the wedding (fathers of the bride generally footed the bill)

Today

Marriage is usually about settling down with your partner with whom you’ve been living, to start a family, and is anything between five and ten years after you’ve met
A wedding venue is pivotal to the wedding and can be anywhere from a pub to your family living home
Wedding planning falls largely to the bride and can take a long time
Giving your wedding ‘personality’ is of prime importance – it’s regarded as ‘your’ day
Weddings range from informal picnics in the park through to sheer glitz and glamour at a hotel – the choice is yours
Dresses have gone from revealing back to demure again, but whose looking – anything goes
Hairstyles favour sleeker updos, but messy hair and shorter styles are also fashionable
Weddings cost a lot more than they did in the 1950s – they’re now an industry