here comes the bride
Article and photography by Jennifer and Kitty O'Neil

Ever since we were little girls staging Barbie and Ken’s nuptials, we’ve been enchanted by old-time wedding accessories. So when June comes around, we say “I do” to a trip to the flea market for matrimonial memorabilia!

We adore how vendors showcase their wedding wares this time of year. We stopped at the first booth to look through racks of vintage bridal gowns. The tattered ones are great to harvest for beaded lace and trims. A hat stand loaded with veils caught our eye, and Jennifer tried one on for kicks. We saw several cloches filled with pretty heirlooms. One contained a sepia wedding portrait and pearls. Another had a tussie-mussie and a pocket watch. We were in love! The seller said they were from an estate sale, and she wanted $65 each. It was a little spendy for us, and besides—we thought it would be more fun to make our own.

After a stop to try on Edwardian wedding rings, we sifted through linens looking for tatted doilies and bridal hankies. There were more veils, but Jennifer was taken with a garter that had a charming sixpence pocket. Kitty gushed when she found a hanky embroidered with a “K”; it was meant to be! We collected five lacey pieces and the garter for $35.

We found a framed matrimony certificate from 1923, but decided to go for smaller items to fill out our display. That’s when we discovered a bounty of cake toppers! A stall near the gourmet food trucks had dozens of classic brides and grooms all lined up like a communal wedding. We picked out three cake toppers, one for the bell jar and one for each of our collections.

A few booths down, a postcard dealer had a cigar box filled with old snapshots. We dove in hoping we would find a black-and-white bride and groom for our cloche, and we were in luck! For just a buck, we got a lovely, scalloped-edged photo. It was a young couple dressed to the nines for their big day. She had a full veil and a giant bouquet. He wore a top hat and was holding gloves in his right hand. They looked so sweet. Hopefully they lived happily ever after!

silver wear
Have you ever seen those miniature spoon brooches? Our favorite silver expert told us department stores would give a silverware lapel pin to the bride-to-be as a “gift with purchase” when she registered for her silver. She then wore the brooch to tactfully show her friends and family what pattern to buy her. We thought they would make an elegant collection arranged on a velvet pillow!