An Unforgettable—But Not Timeless—Walk Down the Aisle

Wedding Gowns From Priscilla of Boston's Bridal Shop Reflect Changing Fashions

Before Princess Di’s puffed sleeves and 25-foot train, before Vera Wang designed $1.5-million gowns, before we loved watching brides-to-be melt down on TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, and before every bride scoured the Internet to “pin” her top 50 wedding day looks, Priscilla Kidder was a department store buyer who thought brides needed more choices.

So in 1945, Kidder, a former yarn store owner and model, left her job at R. H. White’s in Boston to open “The Bride’s Shop” at 129 Newbury Street. The store grossed $10,000 in …