The Lydiard Archives provide a fascinating glimpse into the wedding days of couples who tied the knot at Lydiard Tregoze over three centuries. From marking the occasion with dignified rows of family members in the Victorian era to happy couples and gaggles of bridesmaids in postwar Britain, this special collection is constantly expanding.
The earliest surviving records of weddings taking place at Lydiard Tregoze are preserved in the Parish Records for 1632 which include an entry for John King & Margery Wilde who were married on October 4th of that year. We will never know what John and Margery looked like and it would take another 250 years before our earliest photograph records a local wedding couple.
In the early days of photography weddings were rarely photographed, due to the expense of hiring a photographer, equipment and lighting issues. However, by the late 1860s more couples began posing in their wedding outfits and occasionally hired a photographer to either come to the church or have their portraits taken at a studio before or after the ceremony. Towards the end of the century, as technology improved many couples might still only pose for a single wedding photograph though wealthier families sometimes commissioned a large group portrait. We are particularly pleased to have discovered two such pictures taken in Lydiard Tregoze.
The concept of capturing the wedding "event" in a series of pictures came about after the Second World War. The 1947 wedding of Betty Hicks of Lower Hook Farm, Lydiard Tregoze and Wiltshire farmer Bryan Collet is a perfect example. Twelve beautifully preserved images record the bride and groom, their bridesmaids, families, and reception in the Hall of Lydiard House. .
We would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to donate or loan a Lydiard wedding photograph for digitisation and inclusion in this collection.
