... Dan and I were planning our wedding.
He had the rings after we spotted them in a jewelry store in Washington, DC near where my HUD internship had taken me to work on an assignment at OMB.
I had purchased my wedding dress, a shirtwaist in blue, when I was on an assignment to the HUD office in Atlanta early in 1974.
We planned to go to a Justice of the Peace to get married because we didn't see the necessity of spending oodles of money on a big wedding.
On this day 50 years ago, I perched on a step stool in the kitchen while Mom made dinner and posed the question: "How would you feel about Dan and I getting married by a Justice of the Peace?"
Well, Mom didn't take it so well. The next night, Wednesday, Dan and I and Mom and Dad met for dinner at a restaurant to talk about it. We settled on an immediate family only church wedding with Dad performing the ceremony. When Dad asked the question "When do you want to do this?" Dan replied "Saturday." Dad's jaw dropped.
But we pulled it off. Dad got his license to perform the ceremony just before we got our wedding license at the Fairfax County Courthouse. Dad arranged for us to use the Fairfax Presbyterian Church where they were members, Mom made a reservation at Evans Farm Inn for a dinner afterward. She bought a cake at the local Giant food store.
We told all that were invited and only one of my brothers couldn't come from Pittsburgh. My other brother flew down from Boston without his spouse. My older sister was local and she, her husband and her first daughter, 3 months old attended. My two younger sisters were still living at home. Dan's parents were divorced so his dad came to the ceremony and his mom to the dinner. His three younger brothers attended.
Saturday evening, March 30, 1974 we were married.
In keeping with our frugality we didn't take a honeymoon until 1983 when Emily was 2. We went to the St. Thomas, Virgin Islands for a week and Emily went to her cousin's home for that week.
On March 30th this year to celebrate, we will go to a play and dinner out. Later this summer we will travel to Switzerland for two weeks and Emily and family will join us.
Now.
It's been a wonderful 50 years.
15 comments:
Congratulations.
...congrats, big weddings are a waste of money!
Thanks for sharing your wedding story. It was so sweet! Congratulations for a golden anniversary!
Good memories.
Congratulations.
Lovely story and great memories. Congratulations on 50 years of marriage and welcome to the Golden Wedding Club! Ours was in February! Xx
That sounds a truly lovely and loving wedding. Congratulations
Congratulations! A real milestone!
Many, many congratulations.
What a charming story. The things we agree to, to keep parents in the loop. Cool photos! Linda in Kansas
WOW thanks for sharing and HAPPY GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY!! You were married SO young...I was only 14!! hahah (I was 30 when I got married).
I loved this story.
Happy almost anniversary!
We'll have been married 52 years on April 22, DH had been 21 for 2 days and I turned 21 six days later. I'd graduated from nursing school on what became your anniversary, just 2 years earlier.
Wishing y'all well!
Happy Anniversary🥂 to you both on your milestone achievement and thanks for sharing the wedding story and the before and after photos. We also had a low key wedding with just family and friends and have not regretted doing so after nearly 25 years. Your anniversary celebration trip sounds like it will be a wonderful adventure.
Congratulations on 50 years. It's amazing how quickly that time goes isn't it?
And you haven't changed a bit 💖.
barb
Happy Anniversary! I was also married in March 50 years ago -- March 16, 1974. Unfortunately, my husband passed away in 1991. I still think of him always, and especially on "our" day.
Sending you best wishes,
Patricia
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