The American obsession with weddings and wedding gowns is evident at least as early as 1850, when the March issue of Godey"s Lady"s Book included a colored plate in its feature on bridal dress. Yet brides who feed the nation"s current obsession to the tune of more than $160 billion annually may be astonished to learn how much things have changed. Fashion illustrator Norma Lu Meehan and costume curator Mei Campbell draw upon collections at the Northern Indiana Center for History and the Museum of Texas Tech University to illuminate the evolution of wedding dress in the United States from 1859 to 1899. This exquisitely illustrated work situates the white wedding dress and current perceptions of tradition within a surprisingly varied and colorful history.