JUNE has often been considered the most popular month for a wedding and, with Pippa Middleton recently tying the knot, the curatorial team at Brecknock Museum were inspired to look over a few wedding photographs in the Clarks photography collection.
Containing hundreds of images, these photographs were shot in and around Brecon by Jack Clark between 1905 and 1951. As you can imagine, the pictures contain every conceivable shape and style of wedding dress, spanning those four and a half decades and encapsulating the passing trends and traditions of marriage.
There are a number of reasons why people think of June as the best month to get married in although, of course, we will never know the exact reason. It may date to the Roman era when a festival would be held on the first of June to celebrate the deity Juno and his wife Jupiter who was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. The Victorians seem to have continued this tradition as flowers were more readily available for decorating venues.
“Alongside the photographs, we have a number of wedding dresses within the textile collection,” explains Helen Morgan, curatorial a§ssistant at Brecknock Museum. “We have several different styles, the earliest dating to 1840. One gown in the collection was worn by Mrs Lilian Davies on her wedding day. Made of beige, silky fabric, it features a gathered waistline, buttoned cuffs and coral beads arranged in a beautiful flower pattern.
“Coupled with this, we also have a few photographs within the Museum, outside of the Clarks collection, of Lilian’s wedding party so we have a record of the dress being worn on her special day.”
A popular wedding venue in the town was Brecon Cathedral, as evidenced by the number of photographs taken outside its impressive stone entrance. The cathedral was built in 1093 and these photographs were taken before the building gained Cathedral status in 1923. These couples would have known it as the Church of St John the Evangelist. “Some of the Clark photographs depict couples outside the Cathedral during the World Wars with grooms in their uniforms,” continues Helen. “For many, limited leave was permitted for a wedding before they were recalled to the front line, leaving their new brides at home.”
As for receptions, a popular venue was the Castle Hotel. Photographs show us smiling newlyweds stood outside the colourful glass window and doorway leading from the grassed terrace into the Regency Ballroom. The 11th century Brecon Castle was renovated in 1809 by the Morgan family of Tredegar House to create a large and stylish hotel, drawing in many young couples who would celebrate their nuptials in the spacious and airy ballroom.
“We also have some wedding gifts in the collection including a long case clock and a silk handkerchief marked 1859,” says Helen. “Each was donated by the family of the bride so we have a good record of who owned these items. The only thing we can’t be sure of, is whether or not their day was blessed with beautiful Breconshire weather.”