There are wedding bells ringing at Rokowhiria, the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum, where staff are preparing a special collection of wedding gowns for public viewing.

The gowns span the past 100 years, from a grey Victorian dress to a classic, full-skirted white gown worn in the 1990s.

There’s also another gown, worn by the winner of the 1970 Bride of the Year competition, that will evoke a few memories, says Rokowhiria director Shirin Khosraviani.

The competition winner that year was Andrea Hallson (nee Allen), who wore an unusual but contemporary gown with a hooded lace overcoat. She donated the gown to the Ashburton Museum in 2016, along with a wedding invitation and reply cards, the groom’s wedding suit and a horseshoe and blue garter worn by the bride.

There was also a booklet and newspaper clippings about the Bride of the Year competition, and a large silver platter awarded to the winning bride, who was one of 34 to parade with their bridesmaids before a capacity audience in the Ashburton RSA hall.

Ms Khosraviani said the gallery and museum held many love stories, including those connected to the wedding gowns that would be on display in the Dearly Beloved exhibition from 14 December to 8 March.

“In Mrs Hallson’s case, she grew up in Ashburton, met her husband overseas and was married here.

“Bride of the Year competitions were big back then and Ashburton’s first event was in 1966 and the last, we think, in 1999. They were good fundraisers for the community too, and the brides had a lot of fun.”

The 12 gowns on display in the Murney Room as part of Dearly Beloved run the range of fashion through the ages, from classic and frilly, to sleek, pink and even hand-crocheted.

Ms Khosraviani said staff had enjoyed bringing the wedding gowns out of storage and preparing them for the exhibition.

“We’ve had to very carefully steam some of them and make sure the mannequins are shaped so that the gowns fall properly, as they were all custom-made for their brides at the time.

“Wedding gowns and christening gowns are some of the most collected garments and if stored correctly can last a long time.”
Rokowhiria will run a workshop on Sunday 15 February, when people can bring their own cherished garments to the facility and and take them home stored in museum-grade boxes.

The two-hour workshop starts at 1pm and there is a $50 cost for participants.

Below: The winning Bride of the Year gown from 1970.