A nice chat about your wedding

Winnie ☺☺

Met in 1967 at a holiday camp in Norfolk. I was a waitress, he was a camper. Married in 1970. His mother hijacked the wedding (I was so young and foolish). We had to marry in his local church (mine was too far away for all her guests to travel to). I bought my dress in big store in Oxford Street - £18. She chose the caterer - my mum and I were allowed to choose the flowers. We had a lovely day and I quickly learnt to stand up to my mother-in-law - good job as she lived next door. We eventually became on good terms, especially when I gave her her first grandchild. Mind you when she showed people the new baby she always said "This is my son's new baby!" Er, mine too!!

Met when I was 16 and he was 18. Married in 1970, 5 years later. Mum and I bought my wedding dress in Oxford Street. My best friend and husband's sister were bridesmaids in dressmaker made dreses because they lived 300 miles apart and we couldn't get them together to go shopping. Wedding car was from local undertakers, think this was quite common then?. Parents paid for everything as we had only just stopped being students. No honeymoon as no money. Such a contrast to DD's wedding currently in planning. However she will wear my veil which has been preserved in an old photocopy paper box, not a heritage box with acid free tissue paper as I have seen recommended. Despite many ups and downs, DH and I still together after 46 years. Monument to powers of human endurance on both sides

We had a very small wedding, in church with Communion then on to a lunch we had booked at a very nice nearby hotel with the dozen or so guests. It was a three course meal, the waitress came round with seconds during the main course and pressed DH to have some more. "Just a bit on the side" she said, then she added "It's the last bit you'll get on the side!". On Saturday we celebrate 39 years. I made my own wedding dress, still have it, it's in the loft.

We, with the help of my future in-laws, arranged a wedding at Bury registry office, just a handful of people there, BIL and his fiancée were witnesses. My outfit was a lemon 2 piece with white accessories, it came from Derek Harvey`s Mam`selle, a shop in Rochdale that cateredfor 5`2" and under. I lived with my grandma, but she refused to attend the wedding as we wouldn`t be "proper" married if not in a church! The reception was held in our very grotty 2 up 2 down old terraced cottage that we were renting for £1 a week, quite a bit in 1963. My family sat down one side of the room, his down the other, neither side spoke to the other. There wasn`t room for us, so we sat in the kitchen along with our witnesses. My best friend from school drove us to the Yelloway coach station in Rochdale for our coach to Blackpool, where we had a week in his parents` caravan.
We`d been married for just short of 53 years and 3 months when he died last month.

Callgirl1

This is a really lovely thread, thank you Flossieturner.

Reading these posts is a reminder that marriages are not exactly predictable are they?

My husband (aka The Wonderful man) and I met through church when he was 19 and I was 29. My first husband left me with three young children and so I wasn't the greatest catch for a boy about to start college, but we married in 1986 when we were 23 and 32 (I had my 33rd birthday 3 days after the wedding).
The wedding took place in our home church and by then I was living in Manchester and he was living in Scotland so I did most of the arrangements. My dress was very simple and cost £99.99. We wrote our own wedding service and lots of people took part in various ways; I still have a copy of the sermon that the minister gave us to keep. Our ceremony took two hours and a friend of my mothers was overheard exclaiming afterwards (with expletives) that she'd spent two hours in church and actually enjoyed it.

All the food was bought from the cash and carry and church and family members helped me to prepare it. Our reception was held at the local theological college and I had no idea how many would turn up as we had sent out invitations to family and friends, but also to everyone involved in the church. I can't remember now how many did come, but it was either 140 or 160. I loved the actually wedding ceremony, but felt very self-conscious at the reception (part of me would love to do it again as I would enjoy it now).

All the nay-sayers were proved wrong as not only are we still together, but we have a very good friendship still and a very happy marriage.

Oh, grannyactivist that's such a lovely, happy story. Thank you for sharing it with us

Like many, I was 21, which seems too young now! I was in my last year at University. My mother paid for my wedding dress,( from a department store sale ). We paid for everything else ourselves, as I knew that my parents would struggle financially. In return, they gave us a three piece suite, which they were able pay in instalments. That was a relief to my mother. The in- laws, though better off, contributed a couple of bottles of sherry and whisky, to have at the showing of gifts. Almost 48 years later, we are still together, although the last few have been difficult due to OH having PD. We have just moved house, and, as we speak, the wedding dress is in a bag, waiting to be taken to either a charity shop, or tomthebcostume wardrobe of an amateur theatrical company.

We were married in a historical little church in central Manhattan 46 years ago ( known as "the actor's church) when I was 20 and still a full time student. We had met and fallen in love in France where I was an undergraduate and he, a doctoral student, older, charming and owner of a bright red Mini. He pursued me across the Atlantic but we returned to Europe immediately after our wedding and eventually settled in London. We are still together.

The wedding was beautifull and a marriage of two cultures but not without some awkward moments. My inlaws were graciously British. When they arrived in NYC before the wedding, crossing the Atlantic on the QE2, they were invited by my immigrant parents to our modest home for dinner, I was dreadfully embarrassed as I had previously visited my in laws-to-be in their lovely home and, for the first time in my life, noticed that not everyone lived with settees covered in plastic( to protect them from dirt), amongst other differences.

The inlaws stayed in a posh central Manhattan hotel. My parents lived in an inner city, working class suburb. When they arrived in our home, they responded warmly to my parents and did not bat an eyelid when greeted by my father , who wore a string vest for the occasion( It was a still hot September). I was so embarrassed.

My parents paid for the reception( dinner for 110 guests). It is the custom for wedding guests to give envelopes of money as gifts. My husband and I were given the honeymoon suite to use for the weekend. We spent some of the first night counting all the money we had been given. At breakfast, the hotel told us that guests had liberally used the bar above and beyond what had been allowed in the agreed price prepaid by my parents. We could not tell my parents, so we paid out of our wedding money.

My father had late stage Parkinson's Disease and could not walk me down the aisle, so an uncle stepped in on the day. My father died three weeks later., aged 53. The children in the picture are my nieces and nephews. I was the baby of the family.

The day after returning from our honeymoon( cost £30, 2 weeks in Alcudia, Majorca in a not quite finished hotel), we learnt of my papa's death and flew straight back for the funeral. My lovely inlaws paid for our flight as we were skint.

Goodness, some lovely stories. I was 20 when we married, so my parents permission was needed. The Vicar agreed to leave out obey from the service in our local, pretty, Church. The choir boys made me giggle, my soon to be husband was told off by the Vicar for standing on my dress. It was freezing, snow on the ground, black and white photos with frozen on smiles and tombstones in the background, nothing posed as they are today but laughing friends and loving family were being themselves. The reception (family only, no room for friends) was in my parents very small home. It was all very relaxed. A three day honeymoon was all we could afford. We wanted to be married not to have a big wedding. I think I am so fortunate as we still want to be married 49 years later.

First wedding in Kings Road Registry Office, 3 days before Christmas, only us and my best friend and (late) DH's youngest brother. Spag Bol meal at our flat in Portobello Road afterwards. Son at nursery Christmas party! Second at Alnwick Registry Office which is a solicitor's Office, my sons, his daughters and respective children and my first husband's brothers and their wives and children. Been very lucky?

We got married in 1970 in St Pancras Town Hall. I wore a dress I bought in Bus Stop in Kensington and my husband had a new suit. The reception was a three course meal in a local Italian restaurant and my mother made and decorated the cake. We had a week's honeymoon in Devon and the car broke down on the way home!

Love this happy thread.

sueinhull what a happy photograph.

purpledaffodil how wonderful that your daughter will be wearing your veil at her wedding. I'd be crying a river. (I always cry at weddings, do all women?)

We were due to get married in Sept 1969 but we had started arguing over silly little things so we brought the wedding forward to April instead. My mother thought I was pregnant, I wasn't, but more through luck than judgement . I was 19 and we had met when we were 12. We booked the day with the vicar nd when we got outside the church in Tottenham, North London we realised that Spurs (our team) would have been due to play in a cup game that day, so we went back and made an excuse why we couldn't make that particular day and changed the day to a week earlier. Spurs (typically) got knocked out of the cup and then on the day we got married they were playing at home so we missed the match anyway. 47 years later we are still very happily married and still love Spurs!

We were married in '65. Both just 20 and me 4 months pregnant. We had a small registry office wedding, but a proper reception with a cake etc. Our parents once the shock was over were supportive. We are still together and we have had a good life. In January we will have been married 52 years. I would do it all again.

I met my future husband when I was just 16, we married 6 months later, I was then 17...we had a double wedding with my brother marrying DH's sister! We both had our first child (both girls) within 2 weeks of each other, and we both then went on to have 2 more children. We have been married for 54 years, but unfortunately my DB and SIL's marriage ended about 10 years ago. We paid for everything ourselves as our parents couldn't afford to pay. My wedding present from my parents was a bedding bale but we didn't expect anything more. We borrowed a car to go on honeymoon for a week 'down south' and had to borrow a couple of quid of my dad when we got back because we were broke....Happy Days

It's my wedding anniversary today and the weather is similar, brilliant sunshine.

We got married at relatively short notice, six weeks, because we were unexpectedly given a married quarters allowance and were able to rent a flat. The wedding was in a village church in Kent and the reception was at my parents' house. My mum did the catering. I think there were about 30 guests in all. We didn't have big families so really it was just parents, siblings and a few friends. We honeymooned in Somerset. In November! Thank goodness love keeps you warm!

I'm interested that so many of you made, or had made, your wedding dresses. A talented friend was making mine from a beautiful cream crepe but she was suddenly taken ill with rheumatic fever and couldn't finish it. I had to rush out and buy a dress off the shelf at the last minute! I still have it, a long sleeved, high necked satin, with a small train. It's absolutely minuscule, even my size 6/8 daughter can't get into it.

Anyway here we will still are, 44 years and four children on, even though my mother gave us six months at most!

He was 30, I was 20. I and my 2 bridesmaids (my sisters) made our own dresses. In fact one sister was still sewing her hem while the bridal car stood outside! All 4 parents look nervous in the photos probably due to the gap in our ages and wordliness. After the service I whispered to him "thank goodness that's over" and he replied "oh, but it's just starting". Ooer!
Now he's 71 and I'm 61 and the bond is stronger than ever. 2 sons, 2 GC.

We met Brussels where we both worked. We got engaged. We married in my local church, long-sleeved white dress, traditional tails and hats for the men. Reception at a local hotel. Honeymoon In France and Italy. Back home, and we both took up posts in Rome six weeks later. Stayed there for two years and both came back to London. Stayed a short while with my parents till we got our own home. Forgot, first baby had been born, but I came back home for the birth. Second baby two years later in our new home. Ten years ago, when Mum died, we came back to live in the house where I grew up. He is now 83 and in poor health, but in typical Italian style often tells me how much he loves me. It will be our 48th anniversary later this month.

Incidentally our honeymoon was a series of train journeys, starting from Calais. Hop on hop off as it were. Good fun but got a bit tiring in the end. Rail travel was quite cheap back then.

I married first in 1971, traditional white wedding in church with around 50 guests, some being people my mother wanted. My Mother made the wedding dress and 3 bridesmaids dresses. The material came from John Lewis and cost £5, the same amount as my going away outfit. (Do brides still have a going away outfit?). We had a formal meal after with an evening party for more friends.
Second wedding in 1999 was register office, I had a bride's mother style outfit. We had lots of people there, then a meal at a local restaurant for around 25 with a party in a local hall in the evening for around 200. It was all very informal.

From a very young age I could imagine nothing worse than being the bride at a big wedding dressed like a lampshade. My ideal wedding was a registry office, bride and groom and two bystanders as witnesses. However I loved my parents dearly and to them only a church wedding was acceptable so we arrived at an agreement, church wedding but very low key. Needless to say I have limited myself to one wedding only.

Our wedding date was decide by the best man. He was in the Navy and had leave allocated to him He informed us that he had been allocated leave in February and July and as he intended to get married in July... so we got married on a very cold day in February. We had 20 guests, immediate family, god parents. Best man and Best woman. Even the celebrant was a family member. After the wedding we went to a nearby pub for a sit down meal, very welcome on a cold day. I wore a short white mini-dress (to my mother white was essential) but no veil and my bouquet was a small Victorian posy of snowdrops.

We were tight for money and decided it was pointless to go away for a honeymoon in February, anywhere sunny would have cost a fortune, so we delayed our honeymoon until the summer and a package tour we could afford.

I'm loving reading all your touching stories. Thank you for sharing.

I never liked the idea of being married but reluctantly agreed when my partner was diagnosed with cancer. We got married in the Registry office in Bath and went for afternoon tea in a nearby hotel with just immediate family. This was only 3 years ago and he's in remission, so touch wood, all's good.

First wedding a white one in 1970 but not expensive as my parents weren't well off and neither were we. My aunt made my dress as a present (white broderie anglais, victorian-style) and my "borrowed" was a cousin's veil. We'd only known each other for a short time and it really was a "marry in haste, repent at leisure" situation, we were divorced in 1983. And I definitely was never getting married again.

Second wedding in 2009 was a delightful one at our local registry - we were married by the lovely lady who also "did" Charles & Camilla.
Lots of friends there and we had a garden party with posh afternoon tea rather than a full-blown meal, with a chocolate gateau from Waitrose as our wedding cake. Weather was great, I wore an oatmeal-coloured skirt & top outfit which had little sequins & pearls round the scalloped edges and a knock-em-dead hat (hired, didn't want to take it back). DH was in cream summer suit, guests in summery clothes, it was just exactly what we wanted.

My wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life.
When I look back I know how lucky we were that it all went to plan and even the weather behaved for a February day.
Just one thing spoilt the first day of our honeymoon
We were going to Paris and no channel tunnel then so went on the cross channel ferry and I was dreadfully seasick.
This was followed five months later by morning sickness.
What a start for DH.Couldn't have put him off as we had fifty four years together.