A nice chat about your wedding

These stories are so romantic, and how adventurous some of you are. It is so strange the things that stick in your mind. I hired my wedding dress for £23 from a shop in the West End. My mum thought it was outrageous as my SIL had bought hers a few months earlier for £21.

My going away outfit was a pale blue dress with a navy lace coat and a big floppy Navy hat.

My parents were working in Turkey when my boyfriend proposed to me. I rang their flat in Ankara from the payphone in the nurses home. I only had 30p. My Dad answered and said hello, then he proceeded to go for my mother. By the time she got to the phone I only had time to say that we had got engaged before the money ran out.
My fiancé had his own business so we had a bigger wedding than I would have liked. We had our service in church at midday, and then a reception for family. We had to have an evening reception for all business associates and my nursing colleagues, there were about 500 there. We left the night do at 11:00pm to catch a bus to London, as we were flying to Italy early the next morning. We were booked on the flight as Mr and Mrs. My passport was in my maiden name. The marriage licence was in my mother-in-law's handbag! Fortunately the airline were very understanding and we were allowed to fly. Sorrento was beautiful, if a bit cold. It was April, but when we went on a trip to Capri it snowed, we were frozen having only taken spring/summer clothes. We have been very happily married now for nearly 35 years.

April 1970. We met a year earlier when my contract at a girls' school in Kenya had a year to run. If we didn't get married, I'd have to go home to UK. We decided to get married in the school chapel, a lovely, modest little building; a Scottish minister, retired missionary, agreed to officiate. I booked a caterer to do a buffet reception and a large marquee, in case it rained though optimistically the tables and seating were set out in the open. It was a glorious day and my parents arrived just a couple of days before. His did not.
Honeymoon in Uganda where we saw huge tuskers and could hear hippos snorting in the lake below our balcony.
Sixteen years and two fine sons later, he decided he had found a better model and I achieved independence which I have never given up!

We met when I was a student and got married in 1969 when I was 22 and OH was 26. The wedding was in the village where I grew up, in the chapel where my parents had also married. Weddings were quite a rare occurrence in the village so all the neighbours turned out to watch and country bus stopped in front of the chapel where we were having our photos taken so the passengers could have a look. It was Grand National Day and a horse called Highland Wedding was running. As Dad's family were from Scotland all the local gamblers took this as a good omen and put their money on the horse. My Dad did too, but being a bit short, having paid for the reception, only put on a small bet of ten shillings. It won!
I made my own full-length dress from white satin. It had a high waistline and puffy sleeves gathered in at the wrist. I still have it in a box in the wardrobe together with my bouffant veil.
The reception was a fairly simple affair in a local social club then we left to catch the train to London before flying off to Ibiza for our honeymoon - paid for by OH because I had virtually no money.
BIL gallantly offered to look after our cases during the reception so that nobody would interfere with them. When we opened the cases in our hotel they had been stuffed full of confetti and we spent half the evening picking the bits off the floor.Of course, we guessed who the culprit was!

This is the last chapter from the small book I wrote about the first 20 years of my life.It tells about my cockney knees up wedding way back in 1949. My lovely hubby died this year after us being married for 66 years. I hope any readers will enjoy their trip back in time and I dont know of anyone else spending their first night of marriage on the floor. LOL

www.maywalk.oddquine.co.uk/mybook/chapter12.html

What a fascinating description of your wedding day Maywalk. Lovely to read that you have been together for so long.

Many thanks Bellanonna.
Glad you enjoyed that trip back in time.

It was 1979. We were broke. We got married in a registry office. I sold my car for £50 and that paid for the reception (which we catered ourselves and with the help of friends in someone's garden). That didn't include the rings of course. We went to the jewellers and asked for two gold rings, as cheap as possible, that looked the same. I can't remember if they were £12 each or for the two of them. We're still together.

I've just seen this thread, lovely memories!
We (me and 2nd husband) were married in 1978 in a Reg. office.
Very quiet, only his brother and his wife as witnesses.
Afterwards our two families (4 adults and 6 children) had a nice meal in a local hotel.
The thing I remember about the ceremony was that instead of saying "lawful wedded wife" DH said " awful leaded light" .
We all got the giggles. I forgave him because he's dyslexic.

I forgot ton mention in my post, when the ceremony(?) was over, the registrar leaned over the desk, shook hands with us, and said "Congratulations, that will be 7/6 please."

We met in Malaysia in 1969 and married in Singapore in 1970 in the Church of Scotland by an Irish vicar. Our reception was in the Wessex welfare centre next to the church, apart from my mum, dad and sister there we no other relatives, but many other serving soldiers and their families. We're still together, it will be 46 years on December 12th. We have a son and daughter. Our daughter got married in 2014 and wore my veil, in 5 weeks she is due our very first grandchild.

I've loved reading all these stories, many bought a tear to my eyes

Roll on five weeks LadyG. Wonderful New Year present to look forward to.

Thank you Bellanonna, we can't wait it's been a long time coming, but is going to be well worth it.

We ran off to Gretna Green but the family followed us. We got married over the anvil, not just the two of us and the Minister DGD (2 yrs)stood with us the whole time and when the minister asked us to join hands for the vows DGD turned and and held our hands and said the vows with us, oh how we all cried including the minister. The photo that was taken at that moment is so special.
Before the wedding DGD was adamant she was having a Princess dress (she did) and was going to wear it with her pink fluffy bunny slippers and carry her Woody from toy story doll (she didnt).
The wedding nearly didnt happen as the discs in my spine slipped 2 days before and i made the 300 mile journey in sheer agony. Best friend who was my bridesmaid suggested that i didnt wear my handmade bridal shoes and should use my flip flops instead, i wont tell you my reply.
My DH to be was a scaffolder and spent his life in dusty joggers and t shirts with huge holes in the right shoulder (from carrying the tube) looked like a movie star in his new suit, he really did scrub up well.
It was a day of happy tears and laughter, my Sister who was dying managed the 90 mile journey and had a great time, she got rip roaring drunk and loved every minute of it.That was her last day out as she died 5 weeks later.
I can honestly say it was the best day ever.