39 Years.

 You wouldn't know it to look at these two youngsters, but we knew everything.

 We had three months to plan our wedding before Uncle Sam would be taking my young hubby to Vietnam.  (President Nixon stopped the draft 5 weeks after our wedding.  I did ask Hubby if he wanted to return me since he wasn't leaving.  He said, 'Nah.')


Of course, I had conflicting ideas with my mother as to what a young December Bride should wear. Hubby to Be and I thought we would just pay for our wedding  so we could have the final say on the decorative, fashion elements for  the day.  After viewing these photos, I'm sure you might have suggested that we listen to Mom.

 At the time, I worked at a fabric store and I knew the day after we decided to get married, which fabric would clothe myself and my bridesmaids.  The most beautiful border eyelet became my dress, made from two different patterns, by my talented manager at the fabric shop.  She made/designed my dress as her wedding gift.  An all cotton calico became the most simple bridesmaid dresses.  Eyelet and ribbon trim, de rigueur for the day, was all the detail the dresses had.  Different colors for two attendants and a bright yellow for my three year old niece as flower girl.  All four dresses cost 50.00. Total.


I made the straw flower arrangements that my girls carried.  I designed our wedding invitations and my printer brother in law, printed  this most out of the ordinary for the day invitations.  Hubby's brother took our photos.  My daddy was in charge of maintenance at our local Eagles Club so the reception venue was taken care of.  Magnums of champagne were purchased for 10.00 per since Daddy-o had an 'in' with the supplier.  Hubby's aunts brought the reception food: baked ham, salads, jello, chips. My sister and BIL paid for our overnight stay at a local hotel; a rather extravagant sum of $25.00 per night  One night.  Hubby had to go to work the following Monday. Our whole florist bill, which was reduced by having the good fortune of marrying in a Catholic cathedral with all it's grand Christmas decor, totaled 68.00, my bouquet and wreath included.  Looking through our receipts in our wedding book, it appears the grand total for the whole shebang was a whopping $500.00.  That's a lot of fabric cutting and pizza making for this crazy young couple.


Three decades have past and I still get that little leap in my heart when I see him enter the room.


Bumpy times have come and gone.  We have seen each other at our absolute worst and have loved each other anyway.  That is what it is all about.  Complete commitment.  Depending not on feelings but choices we vocalized with our very young voices on that very cold December day.


Best $500.00 investment we ever made......