For many brides, their wedding dress is the most poignant symbol of their marriage, woven with symbolism and tradition as well as fashion and style. During the Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film exhibition, we are thrilled to offer our guests a glimpse into bridal fashion spanning the 1700s to 1930s, showing how historic trends still influence today’s brides.

All of the costumes seen in Fashionable Romance were designed and made for the screen, but still adhere closely to the period they represent. Each was designed by Cosprop, a well-known design house that prides itself on authenticity, accuracy, and detail in recreating exquisite costumes. From dramatic full skirts of the 1700s, to sleek and slim fashion silhouettes of the 1930s, the gowns exhibited in Biltmore House tell a story of evolving styles and tastes.

One of the most intricate gowns displayed is the dress worn by Keira Knightley as Georgiana Cavendish in the 2008 film, The Duchess; designer Michael O’Connor won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for his work in the film. This dress is an excellent illustration of a formal dress in 1700, with a wide silhouette and full skirt held out horizontally by panniers or hooped petticoats. In this film, the Duke of Devonshire is seen cutting the wedding dress from his new Duchess, which is accurate for this era, as many brides would be sewn into their dresses.

Well into the 1800s, the average women’s wedding dress was simply her best dress and it wasn’t until later that the white wedding dress became standard fare. During this time, dress silhouettes became slimmer and empire waistlines were popular. The gowns worn by the Dashwood sisters in the 1995 film, Sense and Sensibility are very different yet accurate to each woman’s status. Emma Thompson, playing Elinor Dashwood, wears a simple muslin dress and crushed velvet spencer jacket in her marriage to the refined but poor minister, Edward Ferrars, played by Hugh Grant. It’s a clear contrast to her sister’s marriage into wealth, in which Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood wears a detailed beaded gown with a full length petticoat. 

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, small waists were the desired look; to achieve this, corsets were commonly worn to draw in the stomach paired with frills on the bodice. High necklines and collars were popular, as represented by the gown from the 1996 Hamlet worn by Julie Christie, displayed in Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom.  Brides during this period also favored veiled hats and long trains—styles that are beginning to resurface in today’s bridal fashions.

When is a flower more than just a flower? When it’s a hidden message of strong emotion.  In Victorian times, social customs dictated discretion above all else, so declarations of love or other strong feelings had to be coded. One way to do so was through floriography or the language of flowers.

The concept wasn’t invented in the 19th century. In ancient Greece, flowers were assigned meaning and the symbolism carried forth into the harems of Turkey. The Elizabethans picked up on the practice, using the names of flowers in poetry to signify unutterable thought. But it was the Victorians who fully embraced the language of flowers, to the extent that numerous dictionaries explaining the language were published.

During Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901), it became fashionable to carry a small nosegay or tussie mussie as an accessory: a flower was considered a more modest adornment than jewelry for a young woman. A tussie mussie was sometimes tied with a ribbon, but could also be carried in a cone-shaped, decorative silver holder, still used today for some bridesmaid bouquets. It wasn’t just women who donned flowers, though. Men took to wearing flowers in the buttonholes of everyday coats and jackets, not just for special occasions.

To send a message in the language of flowers, a bouquet or boutonniere would be exchanged. A combination of flower, foliage, or herbs could spell out a whole sentiment. Bouquets expressed not just love, but also friendship or familial connection.

The American cowslip was the flower of divine beauty, while the acacia was a flower of friendship. Roses were a complicated matter. While today a rose is all about romance, in Victorian times there were nuances to it. Red roses unmistakably meant romantic love, but a white rose, for example, meant “I am worthy of you.”

But there were also flowers that had less-than-cheerful meanings, such as ridicule, rebuff, coolness, and coquetry. The yew, for example, was the flower of sorrow. An almond flower would not have been a welcome gift: it meant stupidity and indiscretion. Messages could be customized. If the leaves were left on a flower, for example, the message was in the affirmative; if they were taken off, an opposite meaning was intended. Even the manner in which a bouquet was received had meaning: a right-handed exchange was a yes; a left-handed one, a no.

Definitions of flower meanings weren’t always consistent. One flower whose meaning never varied, though, was the stephanotis, the flower of “wedded bliss.” The flower became a popular feature of wedding bouquets and remains so today.

We hope you enjoy this short video highlighting our “Top 10” memories from 2015. It was certainly a milestone year for Biltmore, marking the success and growth of our company as we continue to protect George Vanderbilt’s legacy and preserve the art of hospitality.

1. We partnered with Cosprop for our first feature costume exhibition to display over 40 costumes from the hit PBS mini-series “Downton Abbey.” Due to overwhelming positive feedback, we have decided to showcase more costumes and historic fashion in our 2016 exhibition “Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film.”
2. Biltmore Blooms featured a gorgeous display throughout our 75 acres of landscaped gardens, this year including over 74,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils.
3. Six Summer Concerts spanned the month of August, with each artist performing on Biltmore’s South Terrace overlooking the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains. Our team is already working on a spectacular lineup for next year!
4. Biltmore’s Sporting Clays Club opened their new location on the West Side of the estate, restoring a home estimated to be built between 1879-1889 that had remained on the estate from the pre-Vanderbilt era. The project received the 2015 Griffin Award from The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County in the Adaptive Re-Use category.
5. Biltmore For Your Home celebrated their 25th Anniversary, with their licensed partners and extensive line of home decor products continuing to draw inspiration from Biltmore and uphold the standard of excellence set by the Vanderbilt family.
6. Biltmore’s North Tower Ridge Cap project spanned nearly the entire year, coming to completion in early November and showcasing our commitment to authenticity and preservation of the estate.
7. We celebrated North Carolina Wine Month with the “Taste of Biltmore” in September, featuring numerous culinary events and demos of our estate-grown wines and field-to-table cuisine.
8. Biltmore Winery celebrated its 30th Anniversary and continues to be the most-visited winery in the country, with distribution expanding to 21 states.
9. Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate officially opened on December 1. This new lodging property offers a casual and convenient way to stay on the estate, with dining, shopping, our Winery just steps away.
10. “Christmas at Biltmore” continues to be an amazing tribute to George Vanderbilt’s favorite holiday, and allows us to relive the excitement that he must have felt when he opened his home to family and friends for the first time on Christmas Eve 1895.

Thank you to all of our guests who visited Biltmore during 2015, and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Happy new year!

It takes months of planning and preparation to set up Christmas at Biltmore, but our amazing Floral Designers “undecorate” in just two days! They've mastered the art of organizing and packing ornaments, garland and other decorations before loading it into our warehouse, where it is safely stored until next year.

When you're packing up your holiday decor this year, use these tips from Biltmore's expert Floral Designers to keep everything looking beautiful year after year. 

1. Never store natural materials such as nuts, cones, pods, dried flowers, or greenery with ornaments or decorations. This could invite insects, mice and moisture problems.
2. Remove all dust and dirt from the individual ornaments before storing. Brush with a soft natural bristle brush. (Make-up brushes work well.)
3. Always remove any ornament hangers, as they will scratch paint and could possibly rust onto cardboard or cotton ornaments.
4. Wrap each ornament individually in tissue paper, and if an antique or collectable, be sure to use acid-free tissue to protect your investment or your memento. Also use tissue to pad the ornaments as you pack them in boxes.
5. Never use newspaper or colored papers, as they will stain and are acidic and may damage materials. 
6. Place the individually wrapped ornaments in shallow boxes. For everyday ornaments, apple boxes with the cardboard dividers work well for holding ornaments securely. Do not stack too many layers, as the weight of the upper layers could break ornaments on the lower layers. Shallow boxes are best.
7. For antique ornaments, use shallow acid free cardboard boxes. 
8. Do not use plastic storage boxes, as they do not allow for good ventilation. The box needs to be breathable, in case condensation should occur.
9. Never store ornaments in a damp basement or a hot attic.  Temperatures need to be relatively consistent, to keep paints from flaking or spotting. High temperatures found in attics can melt wax ornaments. Humidity needs to be low, to prevent condensation or damp spots. Moisture can cause paint to break loose, or can create tarnished dark spots on glass or metal.  Cardboard and cotton can be ruined by moisture.
10. Store boxes in a safe, cool, dry spot, away from sunlight or heat. Closet shelves in an air-conditioned and heated home work well.