1930s Hungarian bride. Via/ NYPL

From America to China to Cameroon and far beyond, the old photographs of brides and weddings from the late 19th and early 20th century capture other worlds. The many ceremonies and complicated local costume of each wedding party speaks to a time when weddings were a huge event for the entire village, when ceremonies might have remained unchanged for centuries, and when new inventions like photography were just beginning to change the way weddings were done.

Tlakluit bride photographed by Edward Curtis around 1910. Via/ Library of Congress
Two couples getting married in China around 1905. Via/ Library of Congress
Cameroon wedding from 1912. Via/ NYPL
Breton bride and groom from the early 1900s. Via/ NYPL
Swedish bride from the 1880s. Via/ Wiki Commons
Nazareth bride in the 1910s. Via/ Library of Congress
Chippewa bride and groom from the 1870s. Via/ Library of Congress
Turkish bride from the 1910s. Via/ Library of Congress
Romanian bride ad groom from the 1920s. Via/ Flickr

That’s it for these intriguing photos of brides from around the world. They give us an idea of what weddings from hundreds of years ago might have been like all around the world. They offer a window into a time when the old traditions were still very much alive and kicking.

If you love old photography & weddings then click here to check out a collection of Victorian wedding photos.

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