By Andrea Cordle
Southwest Editor
Here comes the bride, all dressed in white – or green or blue or black.
The traditional white wedding gown became a standard in the 1920s, but prior to that, brides wore practical dresses.
“Everyone was pretty thrifty,” said Debbie Edwards, with the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum. “Brides wanted to get more use out of the dress.”
A wedding dress exhibit is now on display at the Welcome Center and Museum.
Edwards said she got the idea for the exhibit last fall when she was going through inventory and found a wedding dress from 1909. She wanted to show patrons what weddings used to be like.
“People can have a different experience,” she said. “We wanted to have the exhibit in the spring or summer – the peak of wedding season.”
The exhibit features several antique gowns, including the oldest gown from 1909. Some of the other dresses were donated.
According to Edwards, there are two wedding dresses on loan for the exhibit. One dress belonged to Emily Weinhart, who was married to Marvin Weinhart in 1953. Marvin is a Grove City resident, who used to be the manager at the old lumberyard in the Town Center. The other loaned dress belongs to Melinda Sue Krouskop, the daughter of Emily and Marvin Weinhart. She was married in 1977.
“This is a mother/daughter set from two different generations,” said Edwards. “This has been a popular display at the exhibit.”
The other dresses on display have also been donated from local families.
“This is a historical look at our ancestors in Grove City,” said Edwards. “It’s also pretty to look at the dresses.”
The wedding dress exhibit will run through July.
The Grove City Welcome Center and Museum is located at 3378 Park St. It is free to the public and open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours on Tuesday. The museum is also open on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, in conjunction with the Grove City Farmer’s Market.
