Te Takere Heritage Wedding Fashion Parade

• The red carpet was donated for tonight by Norca Rugs.
• All the brides had a choice of 14 artificial bouquets especially
  made for this evening by Mary Mackay.
• Many of the brides no longer have their veils so had to swap headgear between them.
• The floral pedestals were organized by Barbara Blewitt from the Horowhenua Floral Art and Garden Club members.
• Sharon Crosbie compered the parade.

• Ramon (left) and Ria (right) who have been dressed by the Levin Little Theatre and Steve (middle) who is wearing his father of the bride suit.
• Shown beside Ema as a bride.

• Made of watermarked taffeta the low waistline ends in a ruched band below which is a deep frill.
• The neckline is edged with pearl studded braid.
• The leg of mutton styled sleeves have pearl buttons at the wrist.
• Buttons also extend down the back.
• The dress was made by Maria's mother.

Flower girl Brooke with her showing her outfit from a 2013 wedding.

• The dress is cream chiffon with a lace underskirt and stiffened tulle.
• She has a pink bodysuit under it and has a small fur cape around the shoulders.

For something different and colourful we have a 2002 Indian wedding.

• Traditional wedding celebrations are usually held over three days and the bride wears different outfits.
• Tonight we have Roshani, who married in New Zealand, wearing her Indian kiwiana sari in pure white silk with red and gold thread.
• A sari requires 5 and a half metres of material.
• Her friend is wearing a traditional sari.
• Both girls have henna spread over their hands and bangles on their arms.
• They have bindis on their foreheads with matching necklaces and earrings.

• The dress is made of chiffon with a V shaped panel of lace on the front and back of the bodice which is edged with a very fine pintucked frill.
• The neckline,cuffs and train also have the lace and pintucked edging.
• A waistband of satin has a small bow front and back.
• The very fine veil is held by a circlet of artificial flowers.

Sarah presents a beautiful dress which carries with it some sadness.

• It was first worn in Australia by Sheila McNabb at her wedding in 1982.
• Trgically she died a year later.
• Her sister Mikala married a year later in New Zealand and wore this dress so she could feel that her sister was part of her day.
• The dress is of a very fine lace over satin.
• It has a high collar with an organza frill at the neckline and cuffs.
• The bodice has ribbon and lace detailing.
• The skirt is layered ending in a train studded with diamantes.
• The fitted headgear has lace trim studded with the diamantes which are also sprinkled over the tulle.

We now welcome a trio of bride, bridesmaid and mother of the bride. Gae is wearing Susan Blewitt's gown from 1994 in cream silk.

• It has long sleeves with covered buttons which are also down the back.
• The V neckline is beaded.
• The long train has the initials of the bridal couple embroidered on it.
• She also wears a heirloom veil that is nearly 100 years old.
• It was bought when the eldest daughter of a farmer in Otorohunga was getting married.
• They sold their pig called Rangi to pay for it.

Becs is in the bridesmaid dress which is a New Zealand design by Sharon Pederson in pure silk and carries the little flower girl's dress.

• The straight skirt has a back split.
• The jacket has covered buttons ³/4 of the way down the front.
• The neckline has soft folds and the sleeves are ruched and finished with a bow on the shoulders.
• The hat is made of matching silk by Amanda Nicolle a well known Wellington milliner.
• The shoes , made in Upper Hutt are also covered in silk.

Jill is first in Barbara Timm's dress worn at her sister's wedding in 1967.

• The bottle green crepe is fully lined with a V panel down the front in guipure lace.
• A small material rose is at the centre front.
• The corded waistline is tied at the back.

Deborah is wearing Alyson Wright's princess line dress of cream satin.

• The neckline is accentuated with beaded embroidery which is also on the leg of mutton styled sleeves.
• The bodice back has a deep V with a lot of detail in beadwork held together with a central brooch.
• The gathered train also features more beading.

When Alyson wore this dress she was already legally married.

• She and her husband were married very quickly at her parent's home before he was sent overseas with the army.
• The bridegroom wanted the army to look after her while he was away, hence the quick marriage.
• That was in July 1994.
• A year later they wanted to have their big wedding and refused an offer of money instead from the bride's parents. A "Celebration of Marriage" was arranged for May 1995 which they held at Te Kowhai where they exchanged greenstone rings.
• This celebration was complete with 3 bridesmaids, flower girl, best man and 2 groomsmen.
• The late Barbara Hager officiated at both celebrations.

We now present a wedding group with a medieval theme.

Ashling is wearing her Aunt's dress in a taffeta like patterned material which is lined with satin.

• The bodice is boned and these are covered with satin strips.
• The skirt finishes in a fishtail.
• She wears a dried circlet on her head with dark red roses.
• Laced gloves complete the outfit.

Daniel is in the groom's suit which is brown with a waistcoat to match the bride.

• His shirt is dark blue with a granddad collar.

Brooke the flower girl wears a bodice matching the bride with a gold layered organza skirt.

Ema wears Sharon Crosbie's gown from 1976. It was a winter wedding - it is a Vogue pattern - but beautifully made by the wardrobe people at Avalon TV centre where Sharon worked then.

Sharon was compering the parade for us and commented:

"It is a fine wool georgette and terribly plain - but simple. Gives you a funny feeling doesn't it - all that water under the bridge ..."

From the 1970 wedding of Ann Fletcher,

Devon wears the 1970 dress of Ann Fletcher in cream crepe.

• The bodice has fine vertical pintucks either side of a guipure daisy lace panel.
• The sleeves are long with cuffs.
• A straight skirt has lace around the hemline.
• The train was removed and used to make a christening gown.

Georgia wears the bridesmaid gown in a wine crepe.

• The bodice is pintucked the same as the bride and has the same guipure lace.

A bride who can still wear her own wedding dress is Kathryn Mark who married Denis in 1983 at Levin.

• The material is crepe with a satin underskirt.
• The high collar features organza frilling which is also around the yoke.
• This frilling is embellished with lace and pearls and also is added to the cuffs and around the train.
• Kathryn is wearing her own veil and carrying her original artificial bouquet.

A wedding dress with a Country and Western theme is now being modelled by Sarah.

Amy Carey and her husband Neil were both Cossie Club line dancers so Amy incorporated a little Country and western into her gown.

• The ensemble consists of a dainty crepe and lace dress with a silver patterned brocade coat over it which is laced front and back and down the sleeves.
• White boots complete the outfit.
• Amy wore a veil for the marriage ceremony but exchanged it for a hat in the evening when they joined their friends at the Cossie for a Hoedown.

We now have Louise Duncan in her Auckland designed and made dress from 2011.

• Colleen Cowell from Bridal Boutique did the hand finishing with Swaroliski crystals.
• The material is organza with a boned corset.
• The bodice is pintucked with a halter neck and has very detailed beading.
• It is laced at the back.
• The skirt is ruched and falls into a full train with ruching and crystals.

The bride's mother , Frankie, accompanies her in a three piece silk suit in burnished gold.

• The laced over jacket has crystal beading.
• The lower skirt is ruffled.

We now have Louise Duncan in her Auckland designed and made dress from 2011.

• Colleen Cowell from Bridal Boutique did the hand finishing with Swaroliski crystals.
• The material is organza with a boned corset.
• The bodice is pintucked with a halter neck and has very detailed beading.
• It is laced at the back.
• The skirt is ruched and falls into a full train with ruching and crystals.

The bride's mother , Frankie, accompanies her in a three piece silk suit in burnished gold.

• The laced over jacket has crystal beading.
• The lower skirt is ruffled.

• The material is a very heavy ivory satin with lace overlay on the bodice.
  
• The short puffed sleeves end in lace with fine pearl buttons at the cuffs.
  
• These buttons also feature down the back of the bodice.
  
• The full gathered skirt ends with layers of frills.
  
• Lace motifs around the skirt have been painstakingly cut from the lace featured on the bodice and sewn on.
  
• A circlet of artificial flowers hold a very fine veil which is scalloped at the edge.
  
• Each scallop has a grouping of very small pearls attatched.

Here Gae is modeling Megan Blewitt's dress from 2000.

• It is a straight strapless dress in satin with a large detachable train which was taken from her mother's wedding dress.
• She has a very pale blue wrap.

Barbara is accompanying her daughter in a silky satin outfit that she wore for the wedding.

Cathryn is wearing the bridesmaids dress which is a two piece in silk.

• The skirt is straight with thin strapped top and a red wrap.

What did one wear to a winter wedding in the late 70's and 80's?

Dot is wearing a grape coloured wool jersey suit from the House of Raymond.

• It was a 3 piece with a mini skirt included.
  
• We chose to show the trouser suit which became very popular.
• The jacket is double breasted and has deep pockets with the flaps top stitched.
  
• Dot has chosen a pink blouse and hat.

The suit kindly loaned by Iris White.

Becs is now showing Sheila McNabb's gown from 1974.

It was a second marriage.

• It is a classic princess line made from patterned cream brocade.
  
• Nottingham lace features in a panel down the front.
  
• Long lace covered sleeves are flared at the wrist.

• Originally it had a full length cathedral train outlined with La Roma silk guipure lace but this has since been removed.
  
• Her hand spray was of orchids and luckily Mary Mackay has made a similar one for tonight.

We now feature a wedding dress from the Phillipines modelled by Colleen.

It belongs to to Celle Gore who married in 2000.

• The two piece ensemble was made by a friend and has exquisite beadwork on the top which does up down the back with pearl buttons.
  
• The straight skirt is split at the back.
  
• The full detachable train hooks on at the back waistline.
  
• The shoes are also beaded in sequins and pearls.

• The ivory satin dress has the bodice and sleeves lavishly adorned with sequins and pearls.
  
• The skirt has a deep frill edged in lace.
  
• The back is gathered at the waist to fall into the train which is also trimmed with lace.
  
• The headgear also features pearls.

• It is a straight cut gown of daisy guipure lace over crepe.
  
• The long sleeves are chiffon caught in at the wrists with deep guipure lace cuffs.
  
• The round neckline has daisies peeking over the edge.
  
• Originally it had a long chiffon train falling from the shoulders.
  
• An edging of daisies went from shoulder to shoulder around the edges of the train.
  
• It also had a very long veil of fine net with scallop stitching around the edge and peach tinted artificial flowers in the head dress.

• Lace motifs are woven into a lattice patterned tulle which is over a satin petticoat.
• The bodice has a high lace edged neckline with pearl buttons and is highlighted by a two layered frill of lace.
  
• Long sleeves are buttoned at the cuffs.
  
• The skirt and train are edged with three frills in lace and organza with satin trim.
  
• The headgear is a satin covered hat with a frill of organza and small artificial flowers to one side.
  
• A short soft veil is attatched.

• Her original dress was all lace with a big collar trimmed in satin.
  
• The expensive lace is similar to that worn by Kate Middleton when she married William.
  
• A new bodice was made from Chiffon and featured the lace on a front panel and at the cuffs.
  
• The original skirt was opened down the front and a permanently pleated panel of chiffon was inserted.
  
• The cut edge had a matching lace edging added.
  
• The short veil is Gloy's original one falling from a small cap she covered with the dress lace and edged with small daisy motifs with a pearl bead at the centre.

• The material is moonlight satin lightly gathered in the front but fuller at the back to fall into the train.
  
• The neckline and upper skirt features lace from her aunt's wedding dress from 1923.
  
• The hipline is wired to hold the dress out.
  
• The sleeves are ruched on the underside.
  
• The centre back has a small gathering of material like a small bustle.

In June 1927 Bernard Parsons married Janet Horne at the Century Hall which was where Write Price is now.

Their granddaughter Stephanie is wearing her delicate chiffon dress.

• It has deep lace at the skirt edging which had silver threads that have now tarnished a little.
  
• It also features a lace panel inset and gold braiding down the front.
  
• The headgear is original but the tulle has been replaced.
• Stephanie is wearing the bride's locket and engagement ring

• The gown was probably made by the bride's father who was a tailor.
  
• The material is gaberdine with a lace bodice insert and lace cuffs finished with a satin bow.
  
• There is very fine hand embroidery in delicate pink and mauve on the lapels, cuffs and bodice darts.
  
• The bobbles front and back are in ecru crochet.
  
• The original shoes made in England are also being worn.
  
• They are of a very soft kid with silver buckles.