Love & Marriage Exhibit

By Manda Barger Photos By Matt Johnson 

Love, what can be said? It is a mysteriously beautiful facet evolving around our connections and relationships. It spans across time and distance. From myths and songs to fashion and traditions – it has inspired artists and scientists alike. But while it is often the root of our stories, what about the tale of love itself? 

You can now explore the ever-evolving story of love and courtship in Kentucky at the Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage exhibit now on display at the The Frazier History Museum in downtown Louisville. The installation is an exploration through the history of wedding culture in Kentucky as well as customs brought by couples from around the world to the Commonwealth. While learning about the origin of certain traditions like wedding bells and bouquets, visitors can also discover which traditions were lost to time while others have lasted generations. 

The dazzling centerpiece is the display of fifty stunning wedding dresses worn by Kentucky brides throughout the years. The gowns date as far back as the 1840s through the ups and downs of the 1900s to the beauty and accessibility of today’s bridal fashion. 

“From east to west, each bride has a beautiful Kentucky story to tell,” Frazier’s Communications & Research Specialist Simon Meiners says. “From the Western Kentucky tobacco country, we’ve got the rust-colored dress Olivia Thompson wore at her 1889 wedding in Hopkinsville. From Appalachia, we’ve got the laced coral dress Faith Jackson wore in 2023 while dancing to ‘Wagon Wheel’ at her traditional Nigerian ceremony in Johnson County.” 

The journey through the state’s marriage history is matched with textiles and items used by Kentucky couples with multiple backgrounds. From a Hindu bride’s Lehenga to a Mexican groom’s tuxedo to an African American couple’s jumping broom, there is matrimonial representation from around the world. This is perfectly paired with a piece showing the word “love” in 25 languages. 

But as any bride would tell you, a wedding is more than the outfits. This exhibit features artifacts and interactive stops along the way that include designing your own Davis Jewelers ring while answering questions like, “why wear a nonwhite wedding dress?” 

Curators also made sure to represent multiple aspects of Kentucky’s history, including the marriage of enslaved people and legal battles women faced during marriage and pregnancy. “Matrimonial law continues to evolve and this exhibition highlights the history of the right to marry as it applies beyond traditional male-female unions to encompass same-sex and interracial marriages, granting rights and protections to a greater community of people,” explains Elizabeth McConahy Jenkins from Jenkins & Wheatley Family Law, a sponsor of the exhibit. 

From gorgeous jewelry to romantic fashion to educational installations, this exhibit checks off all the boxes on the wedding to-do list. The four-room display even gives a nod to the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue(grass). The Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage exhibit is open to the public now and will run through March 29, 2026. For more information on the display at the Frazier, visit www.fraziermuseum.org