1525. The couple who have married are aristocratic. They are wearing very tailored expensive garments. The bride wears brocade with fur trim.
1504. Across Christian history, angels have been closely associated with marriage as symbols of divine presence rather than active participants. In medieval Europe especially, marriage was understood as a sacred covenant witnessed not only by the congregation but also by heaven. Angels were believed to attend spiritually, carrying prayers, guarding the couple, and affirming that the union was part of God’s order. This invisible role gave weddings a sense of cosmic significance—far beyond a simple legal or social contract.
In church settings, angels appeared most vividly through art and architecture. Carved figures, painted panels, and stained glass often placed angels above or around scenes of union, blessing, or biblical marriage stories. Their presence reinforced the idea that the vows spoken at the altar were heard in heaven. Even when not explicitly linked to a wedding scene, angels in churches created a visual atmosphere of sanctity, subtly reminding couples that their marriage took place under divine watch.
By the early modern and Victorian periods, angel imagery became more decorative and emotionally expressive. Cherubs—those softer, child-like angels—appeared in wedding engravings, invitations, and later on cakes and keepsakes. They symbolised love, innocence, and joy, blending religious meaning with a growing taste for romantic sentiment. In some cases, children in wedding parties were even styled to resemble angels, echoing the idea of purity and blessing in a more visible, human form.
1525. White doves became associated with marriage as a sign of peace and love.
1570. Floral wreaths around the heads of brides and their attendants were common. They were later replaced by veils.
A wreath had meanings e.g. Rosemary (remembrance), Myrtle (love) and Rue (fertility & protection).
Orange blossom wreaths exploded in popularity during the 18th century. They were associated with Virginity, Romance, Fertility and Respectability because orange trees in England were rare and expensive.
1590. The wedding chest came with the bride on her wedding day and was usually placed outside of the church for the priest to bless. Inside it were the articles that a new bride was bringing to her new home like linen, kitchen alia and clothes. There could be several chests.
The clothes were made and collected by a bride from a young age and stored for her marriage. They came to be known as her trousseau. A typical trouseeau contained nightdresses, petticoats, day wear and underwear.
The wealthier the bride was the more expensive was the wedding chest. The clothes and accessories inside were jewellery, corsets, gloves, slippers and bonnets. They were more ornate with finer fabrics.
The roots of the trousseau lie in medieval Europe, where brides brought goods into marriage as part of their dowry.