It’s the summer of love at Rokowhiria, Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum, with a new exhibition, Dearly Beloved: 100 Years of the Wedding Dress, opening on Saturday 13 December at 6pm.

The exhibition features a total of twelve wedding dresses, representing wedding fashion from the late 1800s through the twentieth century. With dresses ranging from classic white and extra frilly to sleek, pink, or hand-crocheted, there is a vast range of styles for visitors to explore.

The Edwardian wedding dress pictured above is believed to have been worn by Emilie Bertha Diehl when she married Arthur Wilson in 1912. The couple were married at Herbert, Otago, but settled in Whakatere Ashburton, where they are buried. Emilie’s dress is woolen, made from cloth like that used in nun’s veiling. The lace insert is designed to look like a chemisette, a sleeveless underbodice worn for modesty.

The exhibition will also feature the gown worn by the winner of the 1970 Bride of the Year competition, which will evoke a few memories, says Rokowhiria director Shirin Khosraviani.

The competition winner that year was Andrea Hallson (née Allen), who wore an unusual but contemporary gown with a hooded lace overcoat. She donated the gown to the Ashburton Museum in 2016, along with a wedding invitation and reply cards, the groom’s wedding suit and a horseshoe and blue garter worn by the bride.

There will also be a booklet and newspaper clippings about the Bride of the Year competition, and a large silver platter awarded to the winning bride, who was one of 34 to parade with their bridesmaids before a capacity audience in the Ashburton RSA hall.

Ms Khosraviani said the gallery and museum held many love stories, including those connected to the wedding gowns that would be on display in the Dearly Beloved exhibition from 14 December 2025 to 08 March 2026.

“In Mrs Hallson’s case, she grew up in Whakatere Ashburton, met her husband overseas and was married here.

“Bride of the Year competitions were big back then, and Whakatere Ashburton’s first event was in 1966 and the last in 1999. They were good fundraisers for the community, and the brides had a lot of fun.”

Ms Khosraviani said staff have enjoyed bringing the wedding gowns out of storage and preparing them for the exhibition.

“We’ve had to very carefully steam some of them and make sure the mannequins are shaped so that the gowns fall properly, as they were all custom-made for their brides at the time. Wedding gowns and christening gowns are some of the most collected garments, and if stored correctly, can last a long time.”

Rokowhiria’s Collections and Exhibitions Lead, Samantha Gatley, will be hosting a workshop called Treasured Threads on Sunday, 15 February.

At this practical workshop, Samantha will explain how to protect and preserve your special garments for future generations. Attendees can bring along a special garment such as a wedding dress, Christening gown or treasured textile, and learn techniques developed by museums for safe storage, gentle handling and long-term care. This workshop is $50 per person, and each attendee will receive their own museum-grade box for storing their treasured garments.

Opening date:

Saturday 13 December, 6pm

Exhibition dates:

14 December 2025 – 08 March 2026

Workshop date:

Sunday 15 February, 1pm- 3pm

Gallery & Museum Hours:

Open Daily 10am – 4pm

Open Wednesday 10am – 7pm

© Scoop Media