Historial Wedding Dress at Julian Pioneer Museum

It simply was not practical to wear white regardless of your financial or social status. Photo by amber Ward

By Amber Ward

When you think of the perfect, fairytale wedding, chances are, it includes an elegant, white wedding dress. The truth is, women have not always been married in white.

The white wedding dress, which has come to signify virtuosity, was a tradition started by the English monarchy. It began when Queen Victoria wed Albert of Saxe in 1840 — their wedding spurred the popularity of the white wedding dress.

Queen Victoria wore what was considered a flamboyant white gown. This was a statement of style and wealth that soon was copied by other women trying to mimic her royalty. The white wedding dress became symbolic with wealth — not purity, as we know it today.

At the turn of the century, white was not a popular dress color because it was extremely hard to keep clean, and the dress rarely could be worn again. Many women wore just what they could afford, often choosing a simple white dress that could later be dyed and worn again. It was not until the 1950s that the tradition of the white wedding dress was truly commonplace.

Evidence of this early practicality can be seen inside the Julian Pioneer Museum, which showcases the green wedding dress of Lula Yancy Juch. Mrs. Juch lived in Julian for close to 100 years and was married to “Julian’s Apple King,” Arthur Juch on June 14, 1884. The dress was made by Mrs. Juch and her mother using rich fabrics imported from Scotland.

Mrs. Juch was one of Julian’s town belles and noted for her beauty, grace, charm and wit. She was very active in the Julian community, as well as being a beautiful, elegant woman. However, even she did not marry in white. It simply was not practical to wear white regardless of financial or social status.

Mrs. Juch chose a dress that was magnificent and practical, in the sense that she was able to wear the dress to many other social outings.

Visitors can see her beautiful dress in person at the Julian Pioneer Museum, 2811 Washington St. in Julian. Museum hours are Wed - Sun, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.