Meanwhile, Maria was making her wedding dress.

At this time in Europe, wedding dresses were very different from those of later generations. Before the 19th century, there was no fixed standard for wedding dresses; people simply followed the fashion trends of the time. The color of the dress was also flexible—blue, red, gold, green, or any other color could be used, as long as the decorations were luxurious enough to reflect the grandeur of the wedding.

Moreover, wedding dresses weren’t just worn once. After the ceremony, the wedding dress would become an ordinary formal gown that could be worn to other events or banquets.

At this time, the concept of...