It seems that I am always intrigued with things associated with the English. Perhaps it is my roots here in New England that craves to understand what it was like then. The idea of the Manor house has always appealed to me. I can recall being young and thinking if my sisters can be mermaids, why can't I be a Merbutler? In my head it was about service. I think this all came to be when the library at my school was cleaning out some old books. There in the stack to be thrown away was a 1950's version of Emily Post's blue book of etiquette. The rules of living and living well fascinated me. Trust me, we sat at the table, family farm style and dug in. We always had manners, but never footmen at our service. I have read that book many times and it still sits on my bookshelves to this day. Each chapter from how to write letters, to how to dress, to how to run a proper house. I thought that there were many people that were actually living in an environment where the upstairs maids didn't even get to sit with the downstairs maid.
I know now that the height of Edwardian Society at the turn of the century in England was really the last glowing hours of this sort of manor house living. It was then that the aristocracy of England had to start to marry into the newly minted money here in the United States. By taking title and estate and securing it with the riches of the American Industrial Revolution, English Society and Manor house living exists in some form to this day. The best example that I have seen in this come from the wonderful PBS series, Downton Abbey. Each detail is immaculate and the development of the characters through the seasons even better. I have watched all of the first season and I am enthralled. I am right back in that little cabin in the woods again reading my Emily Post, dreaming, like we all do. I follow every detail and love that this season will show manor house living during the breakout of World War II.
You might ask what does this have to do with wedding planning and design? Inspiration. Those moments in time of a grand party or intimate moments at home are for each creative person inspired by something else. In the wee hours of the night as I sit and watch my favorite shows such as Downton Abbey or read my favorite books over and over, I know that what I have seen, comes out in the sketching that I do. Not only is the gown drawn by me, the fun and flirty daisy pattern in the background is also done by me. I think that it goes so well together. I can just see lady Catherine making her way into the dining room to receive her guests.