The 1986 Wedding: Rocking the Pouffy Bang, Back Before Vera Wang
According to this morning’s paper, November 22 marks the anniversary of several important events:
Edward Teach, aka “Blackbeard,” was killed off of the Virginia coast
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated
Ravel’s Bolero was performed for the first time in Paris
Former French president Charles de Gaulle was born
Dave and Margo got married in 1986. (OK, this one wasn’t in the newspaper)
“Lacy,” “pouffy,” and “modest” were words that epitomized the mid- 1980s wedding. I would say “tasteful” too, but no matter what the era, all brides think they are being tasteful. Only time tells taste.
Back in the day we were inspired by the weddings of these people:
The one detail that set us apart from our own mothers whose gowns we often wore, were stylin’ aqua-netted bangs. I think we thought they balanced out our pouffy dresses.
We were all doing our best to channel our wedding cakes thanks to this bride.
Most of our choices can be traced directly back to this 1981 event. Every girl in America got up at 5 am to watch the live broadcast of Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding to Prince Charles.
Most of us didn’t have access to glass coaches and all the queen’s horses and all the queen’s men. As a generation many of us embraced the sapphire as the new engagement ring of choice and Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary as our wedding march. With few exceptions we all adopted them lovely perky bangs.
The twist to our happily-ever-afters came a decade or so later. For some it meant extramarital affairs and divorce. For others, with our lack of perspective, it meant something that felt almost as serious.
Teenage girls would come to our house to babysit for my two young daughters. Upon our return they would often ask, “Who is that in that wedding portrait over there?”
“That would be me,” I would say, doing my best to hide my sheer horror and gauge the extent of their dropped jaw reactions.
Over the years I have discussed this phenomenon with several of my contemporaries. There were others who had experienced the exact same thing: A mere 10 years after our weddings, we were kind of unrecognizable.
(Or maybe they were just trying to make me feel better. For the sake of this post, let’s assume it is true.)
Now let’s go a decade or so further into the future. Today when I look at my wedding portrait and barely recognize myself, rocking an updo with stiff bangs, I am thankful. I remind myself that the sleek and shiny Vera Wang had not yet come along to lead an overdue anti-pouf wedding movement. I’m good with unrecognizable.
Just so you know I will not be sharing any wedding pictures at this point. Thankfully that portrait I’m talking about is too big to scan. Just use your imagination.
*Added a couple of hours later after reading Tammy’s comments. I’m a soft touch for pouting.
November 22, 1986 - This one's okay, but it's hard to miss the front and center bangs
I just love the new blogs that adapt to mobile phones. My golf blog does this too!
Great post ,… all read from my Verizon LG. I hopped over here from m.twitter
woooohooooo !!
*pouts* I was really looking forward to a picture…
I wasn’t married till ’95. Things had calmed down a little by then… My sister was married in ’86. I’m pretty sure I have a good idea what you’re talking about…
Oh! Happy Anniversary!
I was married in ’83. No pouf. No bangs. I am not embarrassed to look at my wedding pictures. I guess I’m lucky.
Happy Anniversary! I love my wedding pictures. Married in ’85 (after two years thinking about it).
Your dress looks rather like my mother’s. She was married in ’57
I was married in ’82. My dress was simple. Only a bit of lace at the top. I did have bangs…still do. I have a very high forehead.
Happy Anniversary.
I sometimes can’t believe I have been married this long. I sometimes can’t believe it has been so short a period of time with the man of my dreams.
Oh! Thanks!!!!! That is really really tasteful – PARTICULARLY for 1986! You guys look wonderful!
(Pouting NEVER got my what I wanted before! Thanks!!!!)
wonderful blog and happy anniversary!!!! You are beautiful, even with the bangs!!!
Thank you for including your picture, at the end. And Happy Anniversary.
Happy Anniversary! All I see in that picture is…sweet.
So happy that Tammy got you to post the pic. I think you guys look exquisite.
awwweeeeee I love this! Beautiful BLOG!
What a great post! I remember those days–I was married in 1983. I wore a dress I bought for $50. It was beautiful–I could not fit into it now for all the tea in china! What a pretty little thing I was. (grin) My nose is the same now-a-days….
I don’t remember being so enamored of Princess Diana, but I do remember the day Kennedy died. I was only five years old and I still remember my sadness when Walter Cronkite slowly took his glasses from his face–squeezed the top of his nose and said, “The president….is dead.” And he wept.
So much has been packed into the past 50 years…I wonder what is ahead? I am hoping and praying for the best. And that wedding photo is beautiful, by the way!
This is so not fair. You got married one year after I did and your dress is so much cuter than mine! I mean I thought it was cute at the time but it was all lace and net and crazy 80′s stuff. I’ll have to post it sometime.
You were beautiful!
I love this post Margo. I was married in 1991, and my hair and dress were wayyyy less classy than yours! You did good.
Suz
Margo! I was all set to pout myself. My lip was starting to pucker as I read the Margo and co. imageless post! Ahhhhh…saw wonderful! I had horrible morning sickness at my wedding. I luckily I didn’t toss my cookies at the altar:)
I’m on twitter now too @Guedelon. Yeah! I’m off to find you:)
Now I feel like a twitter loser:)
Thank God I got married in the early 60s, I would not have liked to appear in big poufs and have never been able to wear bangs!
I think you look beautiful, what a gorgeous dress!
Happy Anniversary!
I was a big pouf hair bride in 65!
Thanks for the memories!
Happy thanksgiving! (when our stomachs”pouf” up)
Awww.. you were kidding, right? You were an absolute beauty of a bride. Happy Anniversary to you both.
I was married in ’85, big hair, big fluffy dress, and all. I’d show pictures so we could commiserate, but I’m as unrecognizable in looks and state of mind as you’re talking about. I consider those days Phase III of my life. I’m now in Phase V. I’ve come a long way, baby!
Oh, and happy belated anniversary to you as well. Ours was yesterday…only we got married 10 years later than you did. You must have married young, huh?
I got married in 2005, and didn’t have bangs. But my hair was blowing back in the wind and I don’t look like myself at all in the photos.
I totally rocked the Aqua Net bangs back in the 80′s! I agree with you… why? How did that come to be? And will we look back in 10-20 years and hate the hair we have right now? Frightening.
Happy day! I loved the puffy bang !
Great pic! I bet our husbands are similarly “unrecognizable.” Well, not unrecognizable. Just . . . more filled out, muscular and some with less hair. Still, the way men age is just not fair.
Now for the “my size” Barbie — was she “life size” or “plus size”?
I actually love the neckline and 3/4 non-puffy sleeves of your dress. The 80s were all about the scoop neck and the high neck – this has timeless style. And in this tiny picture you can hardly see the bangs.