Romance was a’brewing at the Cincinnati Art Museum when I paid an impromptu leisurely visit yesterday afternoon. Ted is working a show load-in all weekend at CCM, and left to my own devices for the day, I took off for a stroll around the museum after hearing it was the last day of the Wedded Perfection special exhibit. Let this be a lesson: The very last day of a particularly popular exhibit, especially if it happens to fall on a Saturday afternoon, is not a recommended time to attend said exhibit. If it looks good (check!), you’ve been hearing about it for months (check!), and you know you want to see it (check!), get on the ball and go sometime, anytime, before the last day. The place was packed. We’re talking cars parked haphazardly everywhere. Complete insanity. Since the art museum is always free and the only fee you pay is a mere $4 for parking, it was definitely nothing to complain about. The facility is gorgeous too, located right in Edan Park and across from Mirror Lake with a brilliant view of all of Cincinnati. If you’re ever in Cincy, I’d say stop in just to walk the building and check out the fabulous interior and exterior architecture and décor, though I’d probably recommend actually checking out the art as well, since everything was very nifty and interesting.
The Wedded Perfection exhibit showcased American wedding gowns throughout history. Many were donated or on loan. There was a fair share of Christian Dior and Vera Wang gowns – many from the 2000’s-2010. There were older frocks from the late 1800’s-1950’s with luxurious silky fabrics, fantastic lace detailing, stunning cathedral veils, and gowns of all colors and necklines. On the wall’s surrounding the exhibit there were framed black and white photographs of modern brides getting ready for their weddings. I spotted a particularly snazzy strapless silk Vera Wang with a fit and flare cut and a feather skirt. One of the most unusual dresses was a gown constructed entirely of hundreds of Latex gloves. It wouldn’t exactly jump straight to “it was pretty” but it definitely didn’t look bad and it just goes to show that you really could make a wedding dress out of just about anything.
I also saw a veil cape very similar to one I fell in love with when I was looking at dresses and veils for our wedding. I never ended up seeing out the idea, but I still love the look, mostly for its elegance and originality.
As if drooling over gorgeous gowns weren’t enough excitement for one day, as soon as I stepped into the Wedded Perfection exhibit gallery I arrived just in time to witness a proposal and hear all the high-pitched squeals accompanying it. From what I heard and saw, the girl was there with a small group of her friends (who were obviously in on it) and her boyfriend was supposed to be at work. He surprised her by showing up out of the blue and proposing to her right in front of her favorite dress in the exhibit. Ted said it was lame and the pumpkin patch was a much better idea. The engagement was, of course, accompanied by hearty applause afterward. There was also a wedding reception going on that afternoon at the art museum. See what I mean – lots of romance a‘brewing. I’m not positive, but I think the exhibit might be a traveling one. If it’s coming to a city near you, I’d definitely sip a mimosa at brunch, gather up your girlfriends and give it a peek. Even after you’re married, it’s still hard to resist oogling pretty dresses.
