Event—Adult Education

The Princess Bride: Wedding Traditions and Attire From Queen Victoria to the Duchess of Cambridge

Have you wondered why brides wear white? Why bridal gowns are swathed in lace? Why lilies and orange blossoms scent bridal bouquets? This one-day seminar will look at the most famous “Princess Brides” of the last century...

Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (by September 1): $70
Regular Price (after September 1): $77

This seminar is full. Please call (312) 255-3700 if you would like to be added to the wait list.

Seminar Description

Have you wondered why brides wear white? Why bridal gowns are swathed in lace? Why lilies and orange blossoms scent bridal bouquets? This one-day seminar will look at the most famous “Princess Brides” of the last century—Queen Victoria; Princess Alexandra; Queen Elizabeth II; Princess Grace of Monaco; Princess Diana; and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge—to find the meanings and traditions behind every pearl, every flower, and every scrap of lace. One session.

Debra N. Mancoff is a Newberry Scholar-in-Residence and author of The Face: Our Human History; Fashion Muse; Flora Symbolica: The Pre-Raphaelite Language of Flowers; and Icons of Beauty: Art, Culture, and the Image of Women. She writes on art, fashion, and culture.

Materials List

Required:

  • There are no required materials for this class.

First Reading:

  • There is no reading assignment for the first class.

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.