Wedding memories relished in New London

NEW LONDON — Dover museum is set to rediscover the romance and beauty of weddings past as Dover Sunday will return to New London July 24 after a hiatus due to COVID-19.

A bride carefully curates her wedding, from the colors, to the flowers, to the shoes, cake, and of course, the dress.

Recently, Taylor Rodgers, now Rodgers-Jennings, entered her reception in a beautiful off-white gown.

A wide-V neckline and a trumpet silhouette made her specific wedding dress.

A delicate lace overlay with appliques and beading brought sparkle and whimsy to the fitted gown, but the bride’s smile is what really made the dress radiate.

Each of these details are bound to be as sweetly remembered as those attached to the dresses on display at the Dover Museum.

New London’s Dover Museum currently displays wedding dresses through the ages.

“We have a beautiful display of wedding dresses at the museum and will have a program about them July 24,” museum representative Caroline Lehman said.

The oldest dress dates all the way back to 1904 — nearly 120 years old.

One museum representative, Virginia Ekstrand, points out that the wedding dresses are not all extravagant, romantic, white gowns, but there are many periods where dresses appear to be ones purchased with the intention of reusing them for other occasions or daily wear.

“I like looking at the different years and Theorize about what drove the selections,” Ekstrand said. “One notices in the 40s, choices were made of clothing that would be of practical use after the wedding.”

All of these dresses will be front and center for Dover Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m.

The variety of wedding dresses are labeled with the bride and groom names, date of the wedding, and the newspaper article reporting the details of the wedding.

“These days when a girl might spend $2K or more on a dress — one would really like to know about the materials and accessories,” Ekstrand said. “Also, I like the other parts of the old fashioned newspaper articles that tell a bit about the family and other festivities.”

Members of the museum will gather for an opportunity to celebrate and tell sweet stories of lovely weddings of the past, with a formal segment reading the actual newspaper articles displayed with the gowns.

“I miss the descriptions of the dresses and participants as well as some family lineage notes,” Ekstrand said. “While obituaries are important, it seems they are the only thing left that are fully written. I would like to see more birth announcements, engagements, weddings, and other important family events.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com