Community Chat

[Newgate]

I got married over 50 years ago!  The ceremony was in a old church which my parents were also married in!  My older sister was my maid of honor and I had 3 bridesmaids!  My husbands brother was best man and my brother was one of the 3 groomsmen or as they called them then "ushers"!  I had 2 flower girls, both age 4!

Our reception was in a community center with about 180 people in attendance!!  My husband was 21 and I was 20! 

Only had a 3 day honeymoon due to our work schedules!!

My story is pretty simple!  What was your wedding like?

[luv-the-Q]

I married in 1972.  I have known my husband all my life.  He went to a private Catholic school, not because he was Catholic, but because he had long hair and couldn't go to public school.  When we decided to marry we asked a Catholic priest to perform the ceremony, because we loved him and knew him well.  He agreed.  The problem was that we were Baptists.  My grandmother, being a staunch Southern Baptist and the Nuns, being staunch Catholics were all appalled for different reasons.  😁 

We didn't send out invitations.  We just called the group of people we wanted to be there and told them when and where.  It was a small Catholic chapel and it was fabulous.  Looking at the polaroid pictures that were taken is a trip!  You can tell we were living the early 70's.

[luv-the-Q]

@Newgate I forgot to say that we had a huge party after the wedding, but no honeymoon.  We married on Friday, because I had to be back at work on Monday.  We've been together 44 years.

[151949]

married in 1969. I was 20 and he was 30. He was divirced and had custody of his 2 children aged 5 & 6 at that time. We didn't really have a wedding party - just a best man and MOH, and the kids were the flower girl & ring bearer. I had bought a gown with a huge princess skirt but 2 weeks before the wedding our old historic church had a fire in the sanctuary so we were going to have to be married in the sunday school chapel - the very small sunday school chapel. We had to call 75 guests who were orginally invited to the wedding and tell them they could now only attend the reception, and even so we had about 10 people who had to stand. Also, my gown would not fit in the aisle. NO way No how, I had to call the bridal shop and explain the situation - they brought the gown over to the church and tried it - no way. The aisle was only 18" wide after we hasd to add chairs for the guests. SO - because I was a perfect size 8 and the dress had not had to be altered they let me return it and I had to buy one that would work. I can honestly say - I hated my wedding dress. Empire waist and A line skirt.They also had to remove my very long veil and replace it with a standard fingertip one. To say the least I was dissappointed but it all worked out in the end. None of the guests were upset when we explained why they could not come to the wedding. Then my stepdaughter was walking down the aisle she looked at my cousin and said she had to throw up - my cousin got her out to the BR in time! She was fine by the reception, just nerves. She put on my veil at the reception and wore it all night. Danced with my dad - it was so cute. Just like he would dance with me when I was 5. An eventful wedding that was the start of an eventful marriage. My husband got a job working for British Leyland internationally and we travelled and lived all over the world. When the kids started high school we came home and he started up a business so they could enjoy their HS experience.

[Mz iMac]

[luv-the-Q]

@151949 I love that story.

[Eileen in Virginia]

We got married in January 1976 in Villanova's chapel. He was 23 and I was 22. The priest who was supposed to marry us (the chaplain at my college) died suddenly at Thanksgiving 1975. Luckily, my cousin's brother-in-law was a priest and he stepped in. My sister was my maid of honor and I had 3 other bridesmaids (one of whom had to step down for health reasons). My husband's friend was supposed to be his best man, with 2 other friends and my brother as his ushers. About a month before the wedding, the best man had to step down for health reasons. My brother took his place because he was Catholic and the friends were Protestant (only Catholics could enter the sanctuary, where we actually exchanged our vows). We figured these things happen in 3's, so we were good to go. We had alot of friends & relatives traveling in from North Jersey and NYC, so we had the reception at the Holiday Inn in Valley Forge because it was close to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. We honeymooned in Bermuda - the most exotic place I'd been in my life up to that point. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary and have both retired. Now we're looking for more exotic places to go.

[missy1]

One of my bridesmaides was late (as usual).

The show must go on. I couldn't keep the guests waiting.

One of my nice co-workers squeezed into the dress/shoes, barely.... lol

(It was fine, since I paid for all their handmade dresses/shoes)

My bridesmaid later showed up. Sorry.. Not really...

[IamMrsG]

I promise, every word of this is true:

Me: From a staunch Southern Baptist background (Grandfather was a So. Baptist minister.)

He: From a staunch Catholic background (His sister was a nun.)
My mother was convinced I was marrying a pagan and was doomed to an eternity in hell.

We met (were led to) a darling priest straight from the Vatican. No kidding. He traveled to my parents’ home to marry us, and put both sides of the families at total ease.

Fast forward to the honeymoon–DH accidentally set my waist-length hair on fire, but ‘saved’ me by beating it out when the flames shot above my head.

Then, when we returned home, we found notification from the county clerk’s office that the check he wrote for our marriage license had bounced and that our marriage would not be recorded until he showed up with cash in hand. Thinking he was making a funny, he turned to me and said, “You can go home now.”  In half-jest, I called my mother and cried, “Mom, I’m living in sin!”

We celebrated our 45th anniversary last weekend, so I guess the wedding “took.”

[luv-the-Q]

@IamMrsG This is a wonderful story.  I can relate to the Catholic/Baptist thing.  My grandmother was sure we were not really married in God's eyes, because of the Catholic priest who married us. 😨 Well, after about 30 years she changed her mind.  😁