From this Day Forward – Wedding Exhibition
Exhibition opens at 12noon Saturday 16 February and runs until 23 March.
Shetland Museum and Archives is proud to present our latest exhibition, ‘From This Day Forward’ a celebration of Shetland Weddings from 1769 to the present day. The exhibition and associated events and workshops will showcase the clothing and celebrate the stories, people, music, and traditions that make up our rich Wedding heritage.
The exhibition opens at 12pm on Saturday 16 February in Da Gadderie and runs until 23 March. Here we will showcase some of our remarkable collection of wedding attire, chronicling 250 years of society and fashion in Shetland. Most of the clothing has never been displayed before.
The exhibition will examine changing fashions for weddings worn by Shetland brides, grooms and attendants, including silk dresses, Paisley shawls and highly decorative waistcoats. Each outfit is accompanied by information about the people who wore them. Photographs of couples wearing the clothing are part of the exhibition.
Carol Christiansen, Curator of the exhibition explains, “In preparing the exhibition we’ve learned a great deal more about what was worn to weddings and the choices people made for their special day. Still photographs of the wedding parties are in black and white, but the exhibition reveals how colourful these celebrations were.”
Most of the clothing was made in Shetland. The exhibition includes a focus on dressmakers and the local trade in wedding attire and supplies. Accessories, headpieces, and invitations will also be on display.
Shetland Museum and Archives will also offer workshops, gallery tours and an evening event during the course of the exhibition to celebrate all aspects of weddings in Shetland. The show opens in Da Gadderie on Saturday 16 February at 12:00pm and runs to Saturday 23 March.
Associated events and workshops include:
