BRIDAL gowns and wedding memorabilia from across the decades have been put on display as part of a church’s 200th anniversary celebrations.
St Bridget’s Church in Moresby hosted a ‘wedding through the decades’ exhibition at the weekend, which showcased wedding dresses from brides who have been married in the church over the years.
The oldest dress on display was worn by Letty Taylor when she married her husband Albert on the eve of war in 1939 and the most recent dress was worn by Tina when she married Adam Messenger in 2020 during the pandemic.
The special display was open to the public and included a slideshow of wedded couples from as far back as 1919. More than 100 photos had been submitted after a plea was put out for photos of couples who had been married at St Bridget’s. 
Visitors to the exhibition were treated to refreshments and a special wedding favour to mark the occasion. Sunday’s congregation were also invited to dress as if they were attending a wedding to tie in with the event.
Ruth Barwise, of the church said: “It’s been really, really good. We wanted to make it very personal and unique to us because it’s our 200th anniversary.
“We’ve had a lot of people coming in. There have been a lot of memories rekindled.
“People have been coming in, looking round the display then getting a cup of coffee, sitting down and seeing who they know in the photos.
“Every dress has been worn for a service in church. It’s surprising how many people have kept them. We managed to get one for every decade. It’s been lovely.
“It’s been a real coming together of people and working together as a team. The community connecting back with the church.
“We were closed for a year through Covid and there were mixed feelings about going out again. This has been great to open the doors wide and invite people in, more like it used to be.”
Mrs Barwise thanked Dixon’s department store in Whitehaven, which supplied mannequins to display the dresses.
St Bridget’s has been hosting an event each month to celebrate the church’s 200th anniversary. A harvest celebration and a Christmas tree decoration event are being planned for later in the year.
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