The Smoking Room at Highclere Castle features a console table behind the sofa which is sprinkled with stunning bridal pictures of various relatives. Photo Credit: Chris McLaughlin on Pinterest
A lovely tradition that I have witnessed in classically designed houses is a table devoted to bridal photographs, as an homage to various brides within the family tree. Traditionally, the assembled portraits would only feature the bride in a formal pose. But, in present-day tradition, pictures of the bride and groom, whether in black & white or color, are often included on the same table with the other family brides.
I have always been enamored with the Duchess’s butter-yellow sitting room in the Private Apartments at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England. While filming my television programthere, I admired the magnificent bridal photograph of Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill. It was presented on the table behind me with the lamp, along with her other relatives as brides.
The elegant examples of formal bridal portrait photographs which I observed in English country houses and palaces are traditionally in black & white, or in a sepia tone. Occasionally, a few photographs in color are added in the line-up too. Bridal photographs are traditionally grouped together and displayed in the living room on a side table, on a grand piano, or behind a sofa. They can also be placed in other rooms.
Obviously, the formality of the house, and the photograph itself, dictate the style of the picture frame, which can be ornate or a plain, modern design. The most traditional bridal picture frame is sterling silver or silver-plated. A French enamel frame is another stunning choice. Italian fine leather with gold embellishments or antique gilded frames are also appropriate for a bridal portrait.
What an enchanting experience to tour the ravishing Rienzi House at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas with Carroll Goodman, the granddaughter of the owners who built it. I was captivated by the wedding memories that she shared with me. Carroll wore her mother’s wedding gown, a charming tradition that continues to carry on through other brides in her family line. The antique console table in the living room features several bridal portraits, including Carroll! (The little boy is Carroll’s Uncle Bert Winston.)
In my book, The Pretty and Proper Living Room, I discuss how and where to engrave a silver picture frame. If the wedding photograph is just of the bride, then a monogram with her new married name initials is in order. If it is of the husband and wife, then their joint initial monogram is appropriate. The other option is the wedding date!
XX,
Holly
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