I.W. Caley’s Wedding Dress, 1875, American
Indianapolis Museum of Art

Ellen Seppings wore this dress when she married Josiah Pratt Clowes in England.

In the 1870s, the style of skirts changed from a full-bell shape to the half-bell shape, creating a flatter, smoother effect in the front and moving fullness towards the back, using the bustle.

The tradition of using orange blossoms came to the West from China through the ancient Silk Road. During the Crusades, the custom was brought from the East to Spain and then to the rest of Europe.

The orange blossom is a symbol of fertility because it is one of the few trees that blooms and bears fruit at the same time.