[256] MTSU, Oaklands team to present wedding wonderland of bridal gowns

MURFREESBORO — While the aim of the wedding ceremony remains to form a lifelong union, the bride’s gown has been transformed into various styles over the years.

Many of those styles will be on display in “Wedding Dresses through the Decades,” an exhibit from Jan. 11 through March 8, at Oaklands Historic House Museum, 900 N. Maney Ave. in Murfreesboro.

The MTSU Department of Human Sciences is a partner in the fourth annual event, contributing dress forms and sign holders for more than 50 gowns representing styles from 1860 through 2014.

This year’s exhibit includes dresses from the department’s Textiles, Merchandising and Design Historic Costume Collection.

Dr. Teresa King, a professor of textiles, merchandising and design, assisted Oaklands’ educational director Mary Beth Nevills in selecting and providing gowns from the collection.

King’s own wedding dress, as well as the military uniform worn by her groom, were exhibited in a window display at McWherter Learning Resources Center last year.

Last year, the wedding dresses display at Oaklands won the Award of Excellence in the temporary exhibition category at the Tennessee Association of Museums conference in Greenville.

The exhibit will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. Special appointments also are available. Admission is $8 per person. Group rates are available upon request.

Special Friday evening displays are slated for 4 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23, Feb. 6 and 20 and March 6.

Sponsors of “Wedding Dresses through the Decades” include Bell Jewelers, Encore Bridal & Formal Wear, Julia’s HomeStyle Bakery, Rion Flowers and Gifts, The Write Impression and Street Tuxedo.

For more information, contact Deborah Belcher, chair of the MTSU Department of Human Sciences, at 615-898-2302 or deborah.belcher@mtsu.edu, or Mary Beth Nevills, educational director for Oaklands, at 615-893-0022 or mb@oaklandsmuseum.org.