The origin of the bridal trousseau dates back in time when parents used to maintain a wedding chest when a girl child was born. As the girl would grow older, things would be added to this chest and saved in hope of them being useful to her after her marriage. It commonly got named as the hope chest or the glory box.
Traditionally, a bridal trousseau would include new clothes, accessories, jewelry, lingerie, toiletries and makeup apart from tableware and linens. Parents, relatives and friends would gift household items so that by the time the girl would become of a marriageable age, she would already have all the necessary things for her new home. Some of the things in the chest would hold a lot of sentimental value like cherished family china or silverware.
In olden times most often the garments for the wedding trousseau were hand-sewn by the girl’s mother, aunt, grandmother, or the girl herself. Wealthier families hired the skills of a professional dressmaker to outfit the bride-to-be. A wedding chest reflected a bride’s social status and wealth in the Victorian era.
The bridal trousseau has evolved over the years. Modern brides would not have the same things in their hope chest as their grandmothers might have had like tableware and crockery but may still include things like old family pictures. Nowadays more stress is laid on the clothing and accessories for the bridal trousseau.
We suggest planning well in advance and making a budget for your bridal trousseau so that you make the most of it. You can make a checklist of the various things you need and also make a wish list of stores you would like to get them from. Now you can divide your budget between clothes, accessories, make up and toiletries as you like. A mixed bag of outfits is what we suggest. There should be a good balance of traditional clothes, casual wear and eveningwear. And of course the matching accessories for them all should complete your dream wedding trousseau.
Incase you have jitters on assembling and packaging your wedding trousseau, you need not worry. At Marry Me, our wedding planners in India collaborate with some of the best designers in the industry and we would be glad to assist with complete planning, shopping and trousseau packing.
