We were married in the First Presbyterian Church in Racine, WI on January 9, 1953 and we walked to the YWCA, which was just down the block, for our wedding reception. I wore a white tea length wedding gown that my mother made, my husband wore a blue suit. Our marriage license was No. 1 for that year. Our group wedding picture looks hilarious as my husband was 6'8", I was 5'8", his brother, the best man was 6'7" and my bridesmaid was a tiny Greek girl, 5'1", and the ushers were normal sized. The only ones still living from that picture are me and my bridesmaid and we now live in different states, but e-mail daily.

I must have hit the wrong key, it was January 9, 1954.

Larry and I were married on June 1st, 1968 in the First United Methodist Church in Geneva , Indiana. We had about 100 guests and a reception in the basement of the church. We first lived in a trailer with his younger brother in Anderson, Indiana. The 2 brothers had bought the trailer together with both of them working in Anderson. His brother moved out in August of the next year when we had our son. Two years later we moved out in the country where we stil live. We had 2 daughters and now are the grandparents of 7. I must say "life is good"

Larry retired 2 years ago after 42 years at his job.. I have always done daycare at our home and just stopped a week ago.

Susie

Maygaily, my husband is from Racine! He was born and raised there till he was in high school!

We wre married April 14, 1984 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Windber, PA. It is no longer there.

Allan & I were married September 10, 1954 in a Congregational Church in Minneapolis Mn. I was raised Catholic and when I went to the Priest to see about getting married there, he asked if my fiance was Catholic. When I said no, the Priest just patted my hand and said I should go find a nice Catholic boy to marry. So we were married in Allan's church and the reception was at his parents house. From that union came three children. Scott (born 10 months and 11 days after we were married. Yes the relatives were counting. LOL) three years later came Brian, then three years after that came our Colleen. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Dottie

Jim and I were married in my Dad's little yard in Yorba Linda California. We were married by a judge. We were originally just asking to be married in chambers, but the judge was a criminal court judge (famous too- I read a book about a trial of his later) and he said his chamber was the scene of gore and would not do it. So we opted for Dad's place. We married on March 17- Jim wore a brand new suit and I wore a green dress. Just my Dad, his wife, Jim's parents and a few close friends. It was perfect! My Dad made our wedding cake!

Trish

October, 1966 - we had a large wedding with a Nuptial Mass at my parish church, lots of attendants and a formal reception at my parent's country club.

Honeymooned at the Dorado Beach Hilton in Puerto Rico. We enjoyed it so much, that we vowed to try to do it every 5 years.

5th Anniversary - Puerto Rico - El Conquistador
10th - Monaco - Hotel DeParis in Monte Carlo
15th - Hawaii - Oahu
20th - Virginia - Colonial Williamsburg
25th - California, Disney Land (was supposed to be London, but he had fallen and broke his hip & was in wheel chair, so we postponed London)
30th - New York Cooperstown, Hall of Fame

Charleston, S.C. 1970
Didn't get to honeymoon as hubs was in school. But, we have been on a honeymoon every since. We are happily married. :)

Married by the Justice of the Peace in his courtroom in Silver City, New Mexico on December 17th, 1997. I was worried that it wouldn't be nice, but the Honorable Judge Ron Hall had written a very nice ceremony. Our honeymoon? We left the next day to visit his family in Minnesota for two weeks. A few months later we had a blessing in the church with a reception. It was also very nice.

Oh boy here it goes my story,lol.Greg and I were married at a small country church called Mt Springs M.P.Church.Had lots of friends,family there.Soon be married to the same man"greg>,LOL for 26 years.We were married for 6 years till Ashley was borned.
What was so bad,after we got married that night we drove to Bham [alabama> and spent the nite,but I threw up all nite because I had a bad bad headache due I was so nervous.I promise we did not drink like some thought.It was just that I was so tensed up all day that day and it got to me.I was to embarrased to ask greg to please go get me some motrin.They call these headaches the "sick headaches where you throw up when they get so bad.What a way to spend our honeymoon.LOL.We try to go to the zoo but again threw up while at the zoo,alone it rained so bad.

We married July 1, 1967 at Marvin Methodist Church in Tyler, Tx. We had a reception at my parents home w/ maybe 75 guests. A small wedding in the chapel. One attendant each. My mother had had such a fit that I just wanted to get it over with and even begged DH to elope. He said he wouldn't do that to my mother. We were in graduate school at North Texas State University, so we just went there after the wedding. No honeymoon. We stopped on I-20 on the way and I had to pay for our dinner. Should have been my first clue!! Still married, 3 children and 8 grandchildren. My mother and daddy came to LOVE and ADORE my DH, but that was after the fact!

We married on Sept. 15, 1973 at St. Andrews Episcopal church in Saratoga, CA.

Honeymooned in Monterrey, CA and then headed to the Colorado River's Lake Catherine for a bit of camping and fishing (and a heck of a sunburn!)

Jodi-

I was married in Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in midtown Manhattan, just down the block from the apartment where DH and I would live for the next four years.

It was his second marriage, so we had only the immediate family, plus my matron of honor (a Rockette) and her husband. Our reception was dinner at a French restaurant.

The next morning we traded places with my mother-in-law, flying to Bermuda to stay at her house (complete with staff, it felt like a private hotel) while she spent the next two weeks at our apartment.

This was in 1965.

I foolishly wanted to 'honor' my soon-to-be MIL by marrying in DH's RC church. (She was a convert; DH was a rote Catholic. It was a bad idea, but I was young and dumb.)

Since I was not Catholic, we had to have 'counseling'. I had to promise to raise any children RC and 'support' my DH in his faith. The priest was a nice, engaging person, but disturbed by all my questions. He told my mother, "Your daughter has a very inquiring mind," and he didn't mean that in a good way! He said we could have a dispensation to be married in church. I qualified under church rules because I was "in danger of becoming a spinster"; I was 22.

Anyway, we were married in DH's parish church one morning in September 1964 and hosted 200 guests for dinner and dancing that night at our country club about 5 miles away.

I remember there were a few showers on and off that day and evening. It was raining quite hard when we left the reception to catch a plane to NYC. We had one night there, then flew on to London and Paris for our honeymoon. I remember waking in our London hotel the first morning to the sound of horses' hooves. We looked out the window to see the Queen's Horse Guard riding by, each rider leading a second horse for exercise.

We came home to a small apartment and both went back to work!

We were married in the York Co. fire Dept. My husband was a paid firefighter and I was a volunteer. We were the first couple to be married there.Husband's captain was his best man and girl EMT was my maid of honor. Since this was 2nd marriage for both of us, he wore his dress uniform and I wore a light blue suit. My oldest DD attended the guest book and youngest took charge of decorating our car. We had about 50 to 75 guest. We had small reception in the firestation. It poured down raining that day, so it must have been good luck for us as we will celebrate our 26th anniversary next Thursday (4-9-09). We went on a honeymoon to Luray Caravans and Md. for about 5 days.

The minister who baptized DH and his DB was retired, but still performed marriages in his home. He had a little alter set up and seating all around for family. By necessity it was a small ceremony, but so much nicer than City Hall.

We got married in Las Vegas, because we live here. We didn't elope, but I sure wish we had. We would have had a big wedding, but MIL would have had to have it her way. We got married in The Chapel by the Courthouse. It was a building no bigger than most people's bedrooms. We paid for the lovely package that was to include pictures. However, they told us the pictures got "lost" when they sent them to be developed. I am pretty sure there was no film in the camera. This place looked more like a funeral parlor than a wedding chapel. There were about 3 pews on either side of the aisle...some gaudy candelabras and heavy, heavy red velvet draping on the walls. Creepy!! LOL We have a girl that works for us, who got married in the same chapel 2 months later.

The "chapel" isn't there anymore...but we are still going strong.

It was not a first marriage for me, but I couldn't agree to a civil service. We were married June 14, 1992, in St. Paul's Chapel of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Dover, DE. We didn't have a "wedding," as such; we simply met the minister there between Sunday services and "got hitched" with about six friends in attendance.

I wore an ivory/burgundy skirt suit (new) and his mother's engagement diamond; re-set for me (old). I carried a small New Testament (borrowed and blue). DH wore a sports coat/slacks. We had a small basket of white and burgundy flowers interwoven with English Ivy on the alter and our matching wedding bands. That was it for pomp and circumstances!

After the wedding, I rooted sprigs of the ivy. I've left starts of it everywhere we've lived, and still have pots of it growing in my house.

We were married on a Sunday because we had to apply for our base housing the following Monday, with marriage certificate in hand. I refused to marry on the 13th, which would have been Saturday. I had just returned from an assignment in England the previous Tuesday; that covered the waiting period for the license.

The chapel is furnished with some pews and prayer benches from the original church.

January 21, 1966. Married by a JP at Galveston Court house.
Went out to eat Mexican food afterwards. Spent one night at a Holiday Inn. We had $11 to our name. Moved in with my mother and father. A couple of months later we took the shrimp boat and went to Louisiana to shrimp, lived on the boat. Came home and bought our first place for $250 down and
$115 a month.

We eloped on April 12,1965. My DH was in graduate school and working on air at WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was an Illinois teacher, in graduate school during the summers, and had plannned to visit for Easter break the next week. So he called a few days before I was to fly there to propose. He had made a hair appointment for me, a photographer's appointment, picked a coworker and his wife to be our witnesses and their Grace Episcopal Church for our wedding and our 2 day honeymoon. Just the 4 of us and the priest were there. We honeymooned in Louiseville and Berea, Kentucky, because he was able to trade his one day off the following week with a coworker.

The first time I was married, at 18, my father was ill (and a bit crotchety, LOL) so we decided to keep it small. Including the priest, there were only about 2 dozen people there. We were to be married in the evening, in the little chapel that the church used specifically for baptisms, which would have been perfect. However, we showed up only to be told that nobody in the rectory had a clue as to a marriage taking place that night. Seems that the priest had forgotten and had gone to a baseball game. After a very short discussion - a priest telling us that we would have to get married at another time and me telling him that I was going on a honeymoon that night and I would NOT be going as an unmarried woman - it was decided that one of the other priests would perform the ceremony. Unfortunately, the priest who had gone to the baseball game had also taken the key to the chapel with him. So our little group of 24 witnessed the ceremony in the sanctuary that held nearly 1,000 people.

When I married for the second time, my dad was a resident of the nursing home I worked in, doing payroll and billing. He was not in any shape to go anywhere, so we brought the wedding to him. We got married in the family room and residents and nurses meandered in and out as wants and schedules permitted. Reception followed in the dining room. And while we were celebrating, employees tied cans and inflated surgical gloves to our car. As we left, they threw rice and dried lentils and peas over us.

We were married at Redford Presbyterian Church on June 13, 1959. We each had one attendant and it was a simple wedding. Our reception was in the church social hall, just fancy sandwiches, cake and punch. We spent our wedding night at a nice hotel in Detroit (where we lived) and went back to work on Monday....no honeymoon!! We will celebrate 50 years in June with two wonderful children and 4 fabulous grandchildren.

We were married at my neighbor's Christian church in Decatur, IL Sept. 4, 1977. We were both 25, almost 26. Both of us had been raised Catholic, but hadn't been to Mass for many years so were not really practicing Catholics. We met with a priest who was a real PITA about rules, so refused to marry us. We had no time for those classes since DH was going to a job in CA in days. My Mom wanted a church wedding and my neighbor's church agreed.
Clare

Married in the Chapal at the Naval Air Station where DH was stationed on April, 1, 1961. Divorced on August 16, 1977 (the day Elvis Died) after hubs lost his mind over a co-worker . Longest April Fools joke in the world.

DH and I eloped and got married in St. Cecelia's Church in Boston, MA with just two other couples in attendance. We didn't even invite our parents, but they got over it. The date was Sept. 2, 1972. After the wedding which was a FRiday evening, we went to Anthony's Pier 4 for dinner and spent a grand total of $125 and change for the six of us. I still have the bill in my dresser drawer. That was a lot of money back then, but now it would just about pay for dinner for two at some of the better restaurants.

We had planned to get married in the small chapel of our church but it didn't work out. So, instead, we eloped (our parents knew, though). We didn't invite anyone. My DH's cousin is a pastor and he married us in the dining rm. of his house at midnight July 13th 1985! We just knocked on his door and said, "We're here to get married... can you do it now?" We took off for my DH's townhouse and left on our honeymoon in the morning to Sanibel Island. My husband's birthday is the same as our wedding date! We were 24 and 27 yrs. old! We were married in Miami, Fl. Happily married now for almost 24 yrs.

We were married in the Catholic Church a block away from my childhood home in a suburb of Pittsburgh. I was living in Philadelphia and working at the Free Library and my fiance was attending grad. school there. As a new employee I wasn't entitled to vacation time so we picked June 16 as our wedding day. June 14 was Flag Day and a legal holiday in the city so the library was closed. I took Friday off as a day without pay and Saturday was my day off. We married Saturday and spent our 2 day honeymoon at the Bedford Springs Resort and Hotel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and were both back at work and school on Monday.

It's been 35 years and someday we'll go on a honeymoon!

DH and I got married in Las Vegas, NV at the Presbyterian Church on Charleston Ave.....I think it was on Charleston. We got married over 46 years ago so the details are not as sharp as they used to be.
My Mom was in poor health so we didn't want to get married in my home town (Bakersfield, CA) because it would have had to be a big wedding. My parent's best friends son was a Youth Minister at the church and arranged everything. We met the minister just prior to the wedding and he gave us some counseling. He told us we should raise our children in our faith and make a will. We did.
There were only 15-16 people in that huge church and as my Dad was walking me down the aisle, he began sobbing and it echoed all over. He was very emotional and the thought of his baby daughter leaving home was too much for him. My parents really loved my DH and his parents really loved me.
Our reception was in our suite at the old Stardust Hotel on the strip. We were sad when they demolished it not too long ago.
Thanks for bringing back such special memories!

Hubs and I were married at Tivoli Terrace in Laguna Beach. It's on the grounds of the Laguna Art Festival. Fantastic place for a wedding!

Got married on Jume 30 1979 in my parents backyard. It rained, the caterers delivered the wrong cake, when we left for our honeymoon the airline lost my husband's bag. Lots of bad luck that day but the next 30 years turned out good!

September 20th, 1997 in the beautiful back yard of a home in Ben Lomond, Ca. No honeymoon for us just a weekend in Carmel.

Jodi - My uncle was married in that same church.

Ken & I were married on August 17, 1962, at St. Elizabeth's church in Alice, TX. I had 2 bridesmaids and my twin sister as matron of honor. We had about 100 guests and had the typical '62 reception in the church hall with cake & punch.

We were married in my SIL's backyard by her DH, a Baptist minister on March 14th, 1961, in Porterville, Ca. First marriage for me, 2nd for DH. My brother stood up with DH and his sister with me. Only our parents, my brothers, his sister and the other sister and family. Had cake and punch following. DH had his sister take some pictures with his 35mm camera.

Before we left, went in the kitchen and found his nephew about 2 yrs old and his DD, about 18 mo. under the kitchen table with all the film unrolled. His sister happened to have an app't that afternoon to have a family picture done but let us have the app't so we do have the one picture.

We ate our lunch at the counter in Newberrys five and dime, as we had to wait until after lunch to go to the courthouse and DH had a speeding ticket he had to pay before we left on our honeymoon. Spent our wedding night at the little house that DH owned and left the next morning.

We had bought a '51 Plymouth station wagon, threw in some extra tires and a mattress and started our married life. We went from Ca. to Fl. stopping to visit relatives when possible, if not, slept in the back of the station wagon.

My Aunt owned a big log house in the woods north of Orlando and lived by herself by this time and we had the whole upstairs to ourselves. She had a big lake out back and a little rowboat so we could cruise around the lake. Visited some other Fl. spots while we were there, including my married brother and family in Tampa, and then headed back home.

Going thru AZ and NM we got into dust storms and felt so dirty and gritty that we stopped out near a pasture with cattle and a big tank for drinking water and we went and took us a bath in their tank. lol.

DH had made a bet with a co-worker we could make the trip on under $200, including gas, meals, etc. and by george we did it. Can't remember exactly but I still have the little memo book that I kept track of our expenses.

Many said it wouldn't last but here we are 48 years later with 4 children, 13 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

We got married on May 9, 1980 in a small church. We had about 60 people at the wedding, but we just rented out a restaurant for the reception. We got married on a Friday night, spent the weekend in Niagara Falls and went back to work on Monday.

First marriage, X DH and I were about 19; we got married at
my church on April 10. 1976. Our recepition was a local American
Legion with about 100-150 people and four attendants each and
a flower girl. We stayed married for 19 years and three children
then five years later I remarried and have been married for 9 years.
New DH and I got married at the courthouse on January 6, 2000 (weekday).
We held a reception at our hosue the following Saturday with about 40-50 attending.
We have no children together but I gained two step children.
Deb

We were married in my parents' backyard in rural northwest Ohio on a clear September day. We set up for the ceremony in the middle of the large property, in front of a couple huge pine trees, under a big walnut tree, and between a big barn and the corn fields just about ready for harvest (the farmer actually made one sweep with the combine, saw what we were up to, waved, and let it go for the day). My great uncle performed the ceremony with one maid of honor and a best man, a flute duet for music, and about 50 guests. The reception was closer to the house under a large canopy. We had badminton and croquet set up and served sandwiches and cake. My aunt made my dress. It suited us perfectly, and it was 17 years ago this September. DS was born the next July, so we had some relatives counting, too. ;o)

We were married in the First United Methodist Church in Kittanning PA on October 18, 1977. I'm still there directing the choir and teaching preschool.

My wife-to-be's father married us! (How's that for keeping it in the family?) Yeah, I married the preacher's kid. He performed the ceremony in his church and a reception was held afterward in the adjoining felowship hall. It was a new chruch and this was the first or second marriage performed there.

I got married (second marriage)Sept 7, 2002 in Gretna Green Scotland with a wonderful Scottish pastor, I arrived in a horse drawn carriage from our hotel. A bag piper "piped" me into the hall (he'd done a previous wedding and was waiting outside so said he's "pipe" for me. It was a wonderful weekend with family and a few friends. We honeymooned in Dominican Republic.

Diane

DH and I were married Feb.23,1960 at my aunt's home by a Baptist preacher.My mother made my wedding dress.It was princess style white,tea length taffeta with lace appliques,sequins and seed pearls sewn on it.Still have it.LOL I had 3 attendants,my 2 cousins and my best friend.The reception was at the house also.We didn't have a honeymoon.Drove 40 miles to another town and had dinner at a steak house then went to our new home in the country.DH went to work the next day and I went to town and bought groceries.It snowed about 8' during the night.

Ian and I were married on Sept. 20, 1986 in my childhood Catholic church, Our Lady of Loretto, in Novato, CA. We had the reception in my parents back yard and it was wonderful! I didn't spend near the money my younger sister did, but I think I enjoyed our wedding much more. We've been married now for over 22 years, with 3 teenagers.

I've loved reading these wedding stories!

Sheryl

Lindsey, I love Tivoli Terrace and in fact was in Laguna Beach this morning for brunch with some friends.

Danihoney, does your uncle still live near St. Andrew's? Did he know Rev. Roy Strasburger? Roy counseled and married DH and I 35 years ago.

Jodi-

When I posted that hubs and I were married at Tivoli Terrace, I almost added, "Jodi's probably familiar with the place"!!

We were married in Yonkers, NY in 1951. We had our reception at the Hotel Gramatan in Bronxville, NY for 200 people. The hotel is long gone. We honeymooned at Mt. Tremblant Lodge in Quebec and the third day I broke my ankle skiing. We were married for 51 years until he passed away in 2002.

We were married at the Anglican Cathedral here in St. John's. It has the longest church aisle in Newfoundland. As DH is Catholic we had a priest who is a friend of DH's family and the Dean of the Cathedral (a distant cousin) co-officiate. We had to do the marriage course - we felt really silly sitting there with all these starry-eyed twenty-somethings. Anyway, it was a nice wedding, lots of family and friends. As we were married in our 40's, it was quiet wedding but I think people enjoyed it. We honeymooned on Hilton head Island where DH golfed every morning, we spent the afternoons on the beach or shopped and went out to a lovely dinner every night.

I think a good addition to this discussion is how my parents got married. It was August 3,1935. The impact of the Depression was still felt and so couples delayed getting married for financial reasons. My parents' crowd of friends included 4 unmarried couples and one married couple. They were all in their 30s and even early 40s. My mother was a preacher's daughter, but her father could not perform the ceremony in those days as my father was (Chicago Irish)Catholic. So everyone wanted to elope. They put together a caravan and traipsed all over central Illinois that day to each other's weddings. Dad had a friend who was a priest in Toluca, Illinois, so that was where they were married. Then they all went off for their honeymoons.

Joe and I were married on a paddle boat going down the Colorado river on May 9th 1992.
Very small, maybe 20 people.

DH & I were married in a small Baptist church in Hillsborough, NC. Our reception was held in a small mobile home that the church owned.

Denny and I were married in his church in 1966....

A Saturday morning wedding with all of our family and friends there...

Just a cake, mints for the reception...

Our pics were being taken while the reception was going on...Except for the bite of cake we shared with pictures we didn't get any of it or the mints and nuts..

Next month it will be 43 years.(I've been thinking all year it was already 43...oh well...)

I made sure when my daughters were married that it didn't happen that way.

patti