“The museum is full of satin, pearls, tulle and gorgeous gowns! And we invite the public to come up and see them.”

The gowns that Manning Valley Historical Society president Barbara Waters is talking about are vintage bridal gowns dating from 1860 to 1970.

An exhibition of the bridal gowns, ‘Tying the Knot – Manning Style’, begins on Saturday, April 1 at Tellers Restaurant with an official opening at 2pm.

The exhibition is so big it is housed in two places – Tellers Restaurant and the Wingham Museum – and will continue for a week until Friday, April 7.

Local author Margaret Clark has written a book on the history of weddings in the Valley which will be launched at the exhibition opening.

“Local seamstress and resident Maureen Mears will open the event and then there will be a brief presentation about our gowns and looking at our gowns through the decades,” Barbara said.

“It’s not just looking at a pretty wedding gown, it’s looking at the decade as well, and at the social history that goes with a lot of these gowns.”

The cost to attend the opening on Saturday is $15 and includes afternoon tea. Tickets are available for pre-purchase at the museum and will be available on the door on Saturday.

To help make it a special event, Barbara is urging everyone to dress up.

“Don your hat and gloves, and high heels and your dress, your mother-of-the-bridge outfit. It doesn’t have to be vintage - it would be something that you would like to wear to a wedding,” she said.

Barbara said the exhibition will be of special interest to students of textile and design.

“I think it’s important for them to come and see these lovely gowns and how the styles of gowns have changed over the decades.”

If you cant make the opening of the exhibition at Tellers, you can still see it during the week at both the museum and Tellers, for the cost of museum entry and a gold coin donation at Tellers.