June Brides - Fact or Fiction?

June – the most popular month for weddings, right? Well, perhaps not always. The early Romans considered June, sacred to the goddess Juno, a lucky month, especially on the full or new moon. But it is interesting to see that very few of The Charleston Museum’s wedding articles were from June marriages. Of the 58 garments, accessories and wedding gifts in Aisle Style dating between 1768 and 1967, that have specific months associated with them, only two were used in June. The most popular month for our brides was December with ten weddings, followed by January (9), April (9) and November (7). The least popular was July, with no weddings represented.

One of our June brides was Louisa Rebecca McCord, who married Augustine Thomas Smyth on June 27, 1865, carrying a lovely ivory and silk fan (pictured left) that is on exhibit in Aisle Style. It is a pierced ivory brisé fan with cream watered silk petals or “feathers,” a popular style in the mid-19th century. It is sometimes referred to as a Jenny Lind fan, said to have been favored by the renowned opera star of that period. The Swedish singer toured Europe extensively and became an American favorite after her concert tour from 1850-1852, organized and promoted by P. T. Barnum. Jenny Lind performed 93 large-scale concerts, quickly becoming a well-loved idol. Louisa and Augustine were married shortly after the war ended, finding it difficult to acquire fabric and accessories for the wedding. Perhaps this beautiful fan was a treasured possession before the war and carried proudly by Louisa for the ceremony. More of this couples’ wedding attire will be featured in the Museum’s next textile exhibition, Threads of War: Clothing and Textiles of the Civil War.

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