Norwegian wedding party, Hardanger, Norway (1903)
Assuming the man holding the bride’s arm is the groom and not, say, her brother, the groom in this photo chose a very modern dress suit instead of the traditional bunad, a wool suit with knee-length pants, stockings, and a long top coat. The bride has gone for her own wedding bunad, a wool dress with a brightly colored bodice that reflects her home region. and a bridal crown. Traditional Norwegian bridal crowns are family heirlooms or owned by the local church and rented to the bride for her special day. Ornaments dangle from the peaks of the bridal crown. These chime when the bride moves her head. By tradition, the music from the bridal crown keeps evil spirits away and ensures the bride’s happiness and well-being.