The Catholic Women’s League (CWL) at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary recently by hosting a fashion show highlighting wedding dresses stretching back nearly 90 years.
The group — which began in 1922 — welcomed dozens of people into the church hall on June 11 for two shows, which included tea, sandwiches and goodies. Eight models — including seven from Vanier Collegiate — walked slowly around the hall as the MC spoke about the dresses’ histories.
Along with a fashion show, there was a display featuring nearly 100 pieces of other clothing — wedding gowns, dresses, baptismal outfits, shoes — that highlighted fashion styles stretching back to 1896.
The Moose Jaw Express attended the fashion show’s dress rehearsal the day before to take pictures of the models in the outfits.
The Great Depression
The first dress displayed was from the wedding of Eve (Bolen) Kaip on July 8, 1935, at Holy Angels Church in Pangman. Kaip is the mother of Rose Schenher.
Growing up on the farm during the Great Depression, Kaip’s wedding dress was a special garment made of heavy ivory satin with an A-line floor-length skirt, a half belt at the back fastened with a matching, fabric-covered buckle, puffed elbow-length sleeves fitted to a small cuff with fabric-covered buttons.
The outfit also has a fabric flower corsage on the left shoulder to complement the plain, rounded neckline, while small seed beads comprise the headpiece with a gathered, floor-length veil embroidered on the edges.
Typical of the Depression era, Kaip didn’t own many fancy dresses, so she wore her wedding dress to many dances and events. She also wore elbow-length gloves during the wedding to hide her calluses from her farm work.
Stitched fabric
The second dress was from the wedding of Audrey (Langille) Mokry, who married on July 17, 1948, at St. Joseph Church in London, Ont.
Mokry’s satin, floor-length dress is noticeable for its pleated centre bodice with a row of closely stitched, fabric-covered buttons. The long sleeves are gathered at the shoulder and taper to a point at the back of the hand. While the veil did not survive the decades, it was trimmed with lace and longer than the dress’ hem, giving it a train effect.
Day-long wedding
The third dress was from the wedding of Yvonne (Douville) Johner, who married on Dec. 29, 1958 at Notre Dame D’Auvergne Church in Ponteix.
The bride, groom, and entire bridal party had a long day since the ceremony was held in the morning, followed by lunch. This was typical of Catholic weddings back then because they were expected to fast from midnight onward before taking communion.
Photos were taken in the afternoon in Swift Current, with the bridal party returning to Ponteix for supper and a dance. A gift opening was held the next afternoon at the family farm.
The gown has a flared skirt of polyester with two overskirts of netting, with a hoop to keep the skirt’s shape. The long-sleeved bodice is made of lace and covered in sequins, beads and pearls.
Honouring the groom’s mom
The fourth dressing was from the wedding of Loretta (Wist) Mayall, who married on Aug. 26, 1961, at St. Joseph Church in Moose Jaw.
The outfit was called a ballerina gown since the skirt was mid-calf instead of floor length. The dress consists of a two-tiered, white lace, netted skirt covering a satin underskirt. A long-sleeved lace bolero has lily point cuffs fastened with three satin-covered buttons and covering a spaghetti-strap simple bodice with a pleated satin cummerbund.
A short net veil attached to a beaded tiara accompanied the dress, while white cuffed heels and red silk rose bouquet completed the ensemble.
After the wedding ceremony, the new couple visited the groom’s mother’s gravesite and left the bouquet there to honour the mother, who died the previous year after falling over the edge of Macdonald Falls in Montana.
A dress with history
The fifth dress showcased was from the wedding of Jean (Gadica) Landry, who married on Dec. 27, 1974 at St. Joachim Church in Edmonton.
The dress was a two-piece ensemble with a full-length dress and train and a cape and hood. The material is white rayon velvet with etched designs that give the material a shimmering look. The dress has a high neckline with a satin round collar that matches a satin waistband and satin bands at the end of full-length sleeves.
The bodice is fitted and, from the waistline, drapes to a gentle A-line. The cape and sleeves display matching white fabric buttons and loops, while the gown, cape and hood are trimmed with white fur to give it a wintery look.
Landry’s niece modelled the dress on their 25th wedding anniversary, while Landry wore the cape at their 40th celebration. Last summer, when Landry taught her grandchildren the sacraments at Vacation Bible School, her granddaughter wore it.
Married by a rookie priest
The sixth dress was from the wedding of Rosalie (Lukan) Boots — the current CWL president — who married on June 25, 1983, at St. John the Baptist Church in Debden.
The dress is high-waisted in chiffon with a small train, while the sleeves are long in sheer chiffon. It also has a stand-up collar with a blouson-style bodice.
The priest who married the couple was a friend who was ordained only six days prior, so they were the first couple that the priest married. That clergyman is now Archbishop Albert LeGatt of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.
A big family wedding
The seventh dress was from the wedding of Lana (Schenher) Miller on Aug. 15, 1998, at Ascension Church in Calgary. Miller is the daughter of Rose Schenher.
The ivory gown has a sweetheart neckline covered by the heavily laced and pearled over-bodice that ends in a dropped-lace waistline. The lace sleeves are slightly gathered at the shoulder but are form-fitting at the elbow. The floor-length dress has a small train that bustles at the back for evening activities.
Meanwhile, the shoulder-length veil is of netting with a small ribbon edging, while there are pearls and small white flowers on the headpiece that is held intact with combs.
Miller had 50 first cousins at the wedding, and when her brothers were married, the guest list had to be curtailed. She avoided that problem by planning her wedding in August, the middle of harvest, knowing that not everyone invited could attend. While the groom was overwhelmed by the family’s size, the bride was pleased they could attend and managed to have everyone in the group photo.
Degreasing a messy situation
The eighth dress is from the wedding of Joleen (Kayter) Lichtenwald, who married on July 1, 2006 at St. Joseph’s in Moose Jaw.
Lichtenwald’s sister, Michelle Dodd, showcased the dress during the fashion show.
The strapless, floor-length gown is gathered at the waist and has a fully-beaded train, while the bodice is fully beaded and has a straight neckline. The bride wore a hoop under the dress to hold out the skirt but it is no longer available.
Fifteen minutes before the ceremony, as the bride and her parents were preparing to head to the church, the photographer took a photo of the bride peeking out the door. However, her dress brushed against a greasy hinge, leaving a black streak on the dress’ front. As Joleen tried not to cry, her mother came to the rescue with various products.
The Tide pen failed to work, but Watkins Degreaser was successful.
