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Magazines have gone Kate mad with the royal wedding on the horizon, everyone’s trying to guess what Kate’s dress will be like and who’s going to design it.  So it’s the perfect time for The Fashion Museum in Bath to open their suitably titled ‘What will she wear?’ exhibition.

I was invited to the private view of the exhibition on Tuesday evening and had a lovely evening. I took my mum as, although she lives in Bath we rarely find the time for a ‘girly night out’ – this was perfect. We arrived at the pump rooms with the lovely ladies from West Weddings, Hannah and Helen http://westweddings.blogspot.com/ and a cup of tea later, after we’d warmed up, we were ready for our tour of the Roman Baths. I’d been before, a while ago, but I’d never seen the baths at dusk. It’s utterly beautiful with the oil burners and the mist rising from the baths. (pics). I hadn’t realised that you could get married at the Roman Baths, what a place to tie the knot – just perfect.

After our tour of the baths, we took the short walk up to the Assembly Rooms and the Fashion Museum. I have to admit, I’ve never seen the assembly rooms, a crime really as I’ve lived in Bristol for eight years and my parents have lived in Bath for three. Wow, another perfect venue for weddings with it’s elegant rooms and the most stunning, gigantic chandeliers. It must have been fantastic, back in the day when the chandeliers used candle light.

After our tour of the assembly rooms, we were ushered downstairs to the Fashion Museum and were greeted with bubbly, canapés, and a feast of wedding dresses. A few minutes later Rosemary Harden the Manager of the museum joined us and shared a fascinating insight into setting up, styling and researching an exhibition, she’s a fountain of information; it was lovely to meet her.

The Fashion Museum is world renowned and regularly hosts outstanding exhibitions. What Will She Wear? Is a special display of over twenty of the finest historic wedding dresses chosen from 200 of the museum’s collection, most of which are donated. Each dress is unique with its own beauty and memories, but I must say my favourite was the quirky lace dress by Alexander McQueen (pic).

The collection was pulled together by an array of white roses adorning the models hair and strewn around their feet. At first glimpse you’d think they were made of fabric...but no, they were made by a group of volunteers, out of plastic bags and bin liners – fabulous!

The display also includes a previously unseen archive of photographs of couture wedding dresses from the 1930s by Paris couturier Worth which epitomised the Hollywood glamour of the thirties.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The collection is breathtaking and I urge every bride to be, well in fact anyone who has an interest in fashion and history to take a visit...you will not be disappointed.

And what will she wear? Well I hope Kate goes for something elegantly simple that hugs every curve and kick starts a move away from the strapless styles that have become so popular. What about you?