57 years ago, in 1953, a celebration of marriage took place in Beeston, Nottingham. It was a simple affair — it had to be as these were lean years not long after the war when rationing was still in place. The bride wore a dress designed and made by herself.
Having bought the fabric (primrose satin and white lace) through the firm where she worked, the total cost of the dress, including twenty pearl buttons (one for each year of her age) and two lace butterflies to decorate the neck of the dress, plus stiffening for the skirt, cost a total of £2.10s (£2.50). The bride also made little Dutch style hat made of lace and artificial lilac flowers. The veil was bought for about 5s. I had two bridesmaids in yellow (material cost £2 for both) with anemone posies.
The bouquet was a mixture of white flowers available at the time — Spring Day, the 21st of March, 1953
Two ladies helped her mother serve up home prepared food in a room hired for the purpose. A lovely wedding cake, made by Burtons of Nottingham, plus a tray of iced fancies were luxury items!
A weekend in Buxton, Derbyshire, and Mr and Mrs Hobson were ready to face their new life together as man and wife (three years in a bedsit at her mother’s house until a deposit was saved for a home of their own).
Yes, I was that bride in a DIY dress. (Perhaps I should mention that my dad had become seriously disabled and money in our house was in short supply.)
1982, I made the wedding dress for my son Stephen’s wife — our lovely Linda. A great deal of hand stitching — embroidery and pearl beads — went into that dress. Plus dresses for the bridesmaids and my mother. That was quite a wedding celebration — afternoon and evening — with lots of guests.
Fifty-seven years after my own wedding, my handsome, grandson Matthew, married his lovely Lisa. Fantastic dress and all the trimmings expected these days. A fortnight honeymoon abroad and a home of their own to return to. Everything wonderful, from the wedding in Church followed by the wedding breakfast, to the dancing in the evening. (See my Wrinkly Writers site).
Three Mr and Mrs Hobsons. Each enjoying their very own special day. On a personal level, have things really changed?
Thank you Gladys for this wonderful post, so nicely tying the last 57 years together using the marriages within your family.
ReplyDeleteThose three photos tell the real story so beautifully on their own. Your husband has some explaining to do however, to prove that he is not a bigamist, being the groom in both the first and second photos…
As I think your lovely pictures point out, what matters hasn't changed.
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