BRIDES turns 75!

Since BRIDES magazine debuted 75 years ago, during the Great Depression (interesting time to launch a magazine, no?) a lot has changed in America and the world, the repeal of Prohibition, and a World War to name a few. But the one thing that has remained the same is embracing a ritual and tradition that's been around for a long, long time and is nearly as fundamental as love itself. The following covers takes you though a visual journey of BRIDES magazine and it's evolution through the last seven decades, Enjoy!

AUTUMN 1934: "So You're Going to Be Married" launches and is quickly renamed, "The Bride's magazine.

AUTUMN 1934

SUMMER 1935

The 1940's was wartime which meant quick ceremonies during furlough. BRIDES suggested engaged girls send invites by telegram and buy the rings themselves.

WINTER 1944

SUMMER 1947

In the 1950's gowns featured wasp waists and skirts as big as dinner tables. Many articles in BRIDES were devoted to homemaking such as, "Tools for Tidying" and "Food Men Like" (oh how times have changed!)

SPRING/SUMMER 1950 (Cover image by Richard Avedon!)

SUMMER 1954

SUMMER 1959 (love how the logo is placed in the middle of the cover)

The 1960's BRIDES started the decade championing going away "costumes" with matching corsages, and ended it embracing white moirÃ© minis...

APRIL/MAY1965 (recognize that girl? it's Jean Shrimpton, the world's first supermodel)

Oh, the 1970's! Lavender tuxedos! Little Bo-Peep hats! As we all remember the 70's were the years of challenging fashion, but they also introduced changes that mattered like interfaith marriages andself-written vows (BRIDES suggested foregoing the word "obey").

DECEMBER 1971 (yep, that's Cybill Shepherd)

FEB/MARCH 1974 (a young Kim Bassinger, we call these covers the "mini-me's!))

The 1980's Charles married Di, and weddings got BIG. BRIDES pages billowed with basketball-sized sleeves and Â headpieces dripping with crystals. It was also the decade that started the supermodels on our covers...

FEB/MARCH 1983 (Brooke Shields)

FEB/MARCH 1988 (Christy Turlington)

JUNE/JULY 1989 (Cindy Crawford)

THE 1990's In the pages of BRIDES our real weddings featured interracial and intercultural couples, brides over 40, and women who headed to the altar proudly pregnant.

APRIL/MAY 1992 (Bridget Moynahan and a blue border--yikes!)

JUNE/JULY 1994 (Heidi Klum's first cover)

And here we are in the 00's! As you can see, BRIDES been through much change, and not just visual. I hope you enjoyed, please let me know what you think! (oh, and a special thanks to Sally Kilbridge for helping me with this copy...)

FEB/MARCH 2009

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Mary Hester

The old typeface of 1944 and 47 makes me cringe a little bit. Almost looks like a paintbrush that you're child has used and abused. So glad they got smart and moved away from that!
The retrospect is fabulous, thanks for sharing.

Emily Smith

Ha!! I completely vote for Valium-addicted. I think *that* is what we're seeing there...
I can't stay away from this post. Can you guys tell I'm in throes of a friend getting married? Now I'm super-drawn to the mini-me cover. I want to see that make a return to common practice if we can.
And I definitely, definitely, would give anything to see more retrospectives like this!

Heather Jones

This is so fantastic. My vote is for the 1947 cover too, I can't stop looking at it.

The monochromatic green with skin and lips popping out, the terrycloth head-wrap-cinnamon- bun thing, somebody help me find a word for that look on her face:

demure? resigned? enchanted? Valium-addled?
What about a new section like this? A timeline of the evolution of a publication over the years, or widget for anniversary issues...

Emily Smith

Gretchen, I love this!! So funny... I love that bride from 1947 who looks as though she's going straight from her wisdom-teeth-removal surgery to her weddingÂ â€”Â outfit AND facial expression. There are some classics here! The one that's marrying a knight... Oh man.

Thanks for sharing. (I wish we could get a little archival reminder of "Foods Men Like" or whatever that was... )

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BRIDES turns 75!