Wedding Memories

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Minor setbacks and family pranks made Cecil and Eva's wedding day unforgettable. Eva - Portland, Oregon

Two Brides and Grooms Meant Double Trouble 

In 1950, my sister, Ethel, and I both were planning to get married that summer, so we talked it over and decided to have a double wedding ceremony. 

Ethel was busy finishing college, so I bought white satin material and made our wedding gowns. Papa rented a church campground for the week of the wedding, and declared the gathering a family reunion as well. 

Ethel and I, along with our soon-to-be husbands, went to the courthouse to pick up our marriage licenses. The next day, our wedding day, we learned that we should have gotten the licenses at the courthouse in the county where we were getting married. We asked my brother, who was officiating the ceremony, what to do, and he assured us that as long as he signed the licenses, it would be legal. 

That evening, our father escorted us, one on each arm, around the hill at the campground, and delivered us to our grooms. Mixed in with the violin music were the sounds of turkey gobbles, locusts singing, and frogs croaking.  

We said our vows under an elm tree, then had cake and punch. Later, both newlywed couples headed to our cars to leave and discovered that our brothers had chained the back wheels of the cars together. A friend told Cecil and me to hop into her car, so we did, leaving Ethel and Ralph to figure out their own escape plan. 

The next morning, my friend picked us up and took us back to our car. As we approached the camp, we spotted our car parked in a cornfield. What a family! 

Eva – Portland, Oregon  

Unusual Honeymoon Departure 

Even though it's been a couple decades since my sister-in-law was married, our family still laughs about the bride and groom's departure for their honeymoon. 

The couple didn't have enough money for a real honeymoon, but Grandma and Grandpa managed a motel in a nearby city and offered the newlyweds a free night's stay. However, there was a catch: Since Grandma didn't drive, and Grandpa had to work at the motel and wouldn't be at the wedding, Grandma would need a ride home. 

So, after the wedding and reception, the bride and groom – and Grandma – piled into the couple's car and headed for the motel.