Community Chat

[mrssims]

Our wedding was almost 48 years ago and I lived in a Chicago two flat all my life. As a wedding present my two spinster Aunts cleaned out the front hallway and I was able to exit the house for the first (and only time) thru the front door on our wedding day.  Please don't mention fire hazard, it was a brick building, in Chicago.   Catholic ceremony, six couples as attendants. I was 21 and hubby was 20.  Typical middle class reception, 315 guests, in a new hall. Price included band, cake, family style meal, an open bar and champagne fountain, a guard and a matron in the women's lounge for the whopping price of $6.50 per person. ( A fortune though for a daughter of a widow and the son of a mailman) Then we drove to the Poconos for a seven day honeymoon.  Life is great - we traveled more than we ever thought, raised two sons and are enjoying 3 grandchildren.  Nice memories of a wonderful life together. Thanks for asking. 

[Brittany-QVC]

My husband and I eloped three years ago, a few years after college. It was right before Christmas and we wore Christmas hats (I wore a nice white sweater with mine and my husband wore a dress shirt). We went by ourselves and didn't tell anyone until we announced it on Christmas day. We wanted it to be just us, no fuss over who was coming, what we were wearing, if we would all eat afterwords, etc! We still wear our hats every Christmas! Maybe not the most extravagant, but I don't regret it one bit! Makes the Christmas season a little more romantic! 

[Suziepeach]

In comparison to "standards" for weddings nowadays, my first wedding was simple & small (back in 67)...  My second wedding was even smaller, us, the minister, and 5 family members in 1988.

28 yrs later, we still like one another!  I wanted to add this on plus we spend our anniversaries with Mickey Mouse and the Tennessee Volunteer spring football game.. Ain't love grand?

[haddon9]

I just celebrated my 34th anniversary last weekend.

We got married in 1982...neither one of us is religious.  I come from a Jewish family and he's from a Catholic background.  We got married  and had the reception in a hotel near our home.  Went on our honeymoon two days later to Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

[curlywhitedog]

I got married on May 3, 1970, next Tuesday is our 46th anniversary.  Hubby to be was in the Navy and stationed in Cuba the entire year we were engaged.  His original date for coming back home was April 26 so in just a week we had to get blood tests and license.  On the 24th we received a telegram from hubby to be informing us that he had been bumped off the Naval flight and would not be home in time for the wedding.  My poor dad was frantic, we had a huge wedding planned, 150 people coming for a big reception and there we were going to be...minus our groom.

We didn't know this at the time but the base minister was working behind the scenes to get hubby back on the plane and home on time for the wedding and hubs did not want to say anything until he was sure.  He got home a day later than originally scheduled but with just enough time to get everything done and enjoy a beautiful wedding.

Like most people, we've had our ups and downs but I absolutely cannot imagine ever being married to anyone else.

Maria

[151949]

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@Brittany-QVC wrote:

My husband and I eloped three years ago, a few years after college. It was right before Christmas and we wore Christmas hats (I wore a nice white sweater with mine and my husband wore a dress shirt). We went by ourselves and didn't tell anyone until we announced it on Christmas day. We wanted it to be just us, no fuss over who was coming, what we were wearing, if we would all eat afterwords, etc! We still wear our hats every Christmas! Maybe not the most extravagant, but I don't regret it one bit! Makes the Christmas season a little more romantic! 

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I bet , considering the extreme cost and demands on a couple that is expected now a days for a wedding, we will be seeing many more couples just deciding to elope. It is very romantic. my grandparents eloped and were married 69 years when my Grandma died. My cousin eloped on the night of  their high school graduation and they have been married 51 years come this june. Best wishes to you.

[Brittany-QVC]

Thanks @151949! 

Congrats to your cousin on the 51 years of marriage as well! That is incredibly romantic! 

[Newgate]

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@Brittany-QVC wrote:

My husband and I eloped three years ago, a few years after college. It was right before Christmas and we wore Christmas hats (I wore a nice white sweater with mine and my husband wore a dress shirt). We went by ourselves and didn't tell anyone until we announced it on Christmas day. We wanted it to be just us, no fuss over who was coming, what we were wearing, if we would all eat afterwords, etc! We still wear our hats every Christmas! Maybe not the most extravagant, but I don't regret it one bit! Makes the Christmas season a little more romantic! 

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@Brittany-QVC Cute story!! Thanks for responding Brittany!!

[beach-mom]

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@Brittany-QVC wrote:

My husband and I eloped three years ago, a few years after college. It was right before Christmas and we wore Christmas hats (I wore a nice white sweater with mine and my husband wore a dress shirt). We went by ourselves and didn't tell anyone until we announced it on Christmas day. We wanted it to be just us, no fuss over who was coming, what we were wearing, if we would all eat afterwords, etc! We still wear our hats every Christmas! Maybe not the most extravagant, but I don't regret it one bit! Makes the Christmas season a little more romantic! 

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That's so sweet! And a little unusual for your generation!  DD is your age. She's almost going bankrupt with all of the weddings she's been in - from high school and college. Not only the weddings themselves, but then you have the elaborate Bachelorette parties - some in Vegas, and of course, the showers. One of my friends told her that when she was young and all of her friends were getting married, she had to say no to a few. But it's important to DD, so as I always tell her - you have to set priorities in life, and right now those are hers!

My parents also eloped. They met in Europe and lived in the same apartment building as part of the same group of friends for three years. One of them was getting ready to come back home, so they looked at each other and decided to do something about it! Since my mom had lived in D.C. they got married there. My grandmother didn't speak to my father until I was born 1-1/2 years later! 

My own story:

I was right out of college in June and hoping to teach overseas when I met DH, who had just joined the military. It was something I had always wanted (teaching overseas). I had to teach a year in the states first, but that gave me time to work on the long application process and interviews. Ironically, after dating him a little over a year, he was transferred to Japan! He came back, not as early as we had planned, and we had a small, sweet summer wedding. My matron of honor delivered her son two weeks later. When we had to postpone from the original date, she told me she would understand if I didn't want her in it. I told her if she was able to sit in a chair, she would be up there with me! She stood the whole time!  We had a short honeymoon, which included a few days at the beach  and visits with both families, then went to Japan. I did end up teaching there and loved it. We had a great start to our marriage, but after three years we were both ready to come back! 

I'm enjoying all of the stories! Thanks for posting, and thanks @Newgate for starting this thread! 

[lulu2]

We were married at Sacred Heart, the church on Notre Dame campus. (storybook beautiful) It was June, 1971, graduation weekend for my husband. (I'd graduated a few weeks earlier)  My fathered chartered  2 buses for relatives. (from NJ and the Philadelphia area) The weather was perfect, my bridal party beautiful, and many of our photos were taken at the Grotto.

Our wedding was pretty much a carbon copy of my sister's.  She and her husband were married at the same church in June, 1970.  Our receptions were held at the same venue.