Left on the eve of her wedding, the owner of this "wedding dress never worn" and accompanying travel gown never heard what became of her errant groom. She remained unmarried and lived to a ripe old age.

More than a gown, the Victorian bride's wardrobe required a full wedding trousseau. Shown here is a 1905 collection of the myriad pieces no lady could be without.

SHE MAKES THEM LIKE THEY USED TO

A woman hoping to incorporate tradition into a modern wedding would do well to commission the bridal museum's seamstress, Elaine Hartley, to reproduce a gown. Hartley, who has been designing reproductions of Victorian gowns for 30 years, has worked with celebrities for both film and actual weddings, "I am so lucky to have her," says Eve Faulkner. "Elaine is incredibly talented, and gives such exquisite detail to her gowns. She reaches back in time, plucks the dress from its original concept and re-creates it for today's bride. Imagine wearing a gown on your wedding day that was worn by a famous person 100 years ago," Gowns range from $2,500 to $5,000.

Elaine Hartley, the museum's seamstress, can reproduce your favorite antique wedding gown from an existing gown or from a design you bring to her. This 1873-style wedding suit, made of white silk shantung with antique lace embellishment, runs about $5,000.

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