Damn. I was going to be all cleaver and say “A-ha, it’s not Saturday yet,” but then I read the first line.

It seems funny to think now that it used to be something you could get into a lot of trouble for back then. Now it seems normal for a lot of couples to have kids and not be married.

I was thinking how nice the flowers were, but she doesn’t look to happy, didn’t she want to get married either?

This is the first time I recall seeing a groom holding gloves in hand. Anyway a lovely photo and the story proves, “100 years from now what difference will it make?” where today many have the child and don’t marry anyway! I enjoyed this and this is my first time here, just having returned from a trip, so I’ve been behind on posting and reading other blogs. I enjoyed your writings and they brought smiles!!

Beautiful flowers- and both do look a little frightened. It amazes me how times have changed. Thanks for sharing.

Isn’t it sad that so many people ‘had to get married’ in those days (at least two of my gran’s sisters had to) and yet it was taboo to mention the facts of life so unplanned pregnancies were probably more frequent than nowadays but poeple tried to hide the fact.

They have wonderful faces, both of them. A lot of character written there. I thought the bouquet was stunning, then read about the bulge and chuckled.

Well, no matter what the reason for the large bouquet was, it sure is beautiful..and so is the bride!

Neither of them look overly thrlled or happy, but they do have very interesting faces. That bouquet is almost a big as the bride! I can see your mother in your face.

So sad you wish you hadn’t gotten married. Yes it was sad that people “had” to get married. Not only was there no sex education, birth control was illegal in most places.

Love the grooms’s expression!

Did these shotgun weddings last?

Helen, Terri, Nana Jo and Vicki: My dad told me that the they were definitely NOT happy that day, neither of them wanted to marry the other, but it was expected of them so they had to do it. Needless to say the marriage didn’t last; after the baby (Cousin Margaret) was born they went their separate ways and divorced a few years later.

Stu: You’re so right about things are different now, I visited a couple today (they are in their 40′s) and was amazed at the standard of the life they lead now, which they consider normal. It is completely different to the way I lived when I was 40. More on that later this week.

Pat: I’m sure it wasn’t Uncle Maurices’ idea to dress up like a tailors dummy. I think the family made him do it just to rub salt into the wound!

Sandy: I don’t think it was so much “had to get married” as it was to be seen to “do the decent thing”. There was such a thing as moral standards and etiquette in those far off days; something the younger generation know nothing about now.

Enchanted Oak and Betsey: I must admit the bouquet is rather nice, but it does look a bit OTT doesn’t it?

Meri:My marriage was a disaster area! I didn’t love her, but I stupidly thought that I could learn to love. Wrong! That sort of thing doesn’t happen, especially when I found out she was ‘shrew’ and, unlike Will Shakespeares play, I was no good at taming her.

What is it about these studio shots – the faces seem to stand out of the background photograph almost as though the participants had inserted their heads through holes in cut-out pictures of the perfect bride and groom. That is one way of covering up an embarrassing bulge I suppose. Thanks for keeping us entertained.

It is so sad to look into their eyes and see absolutely no joy on their wedding day. It’s a beautiful photograph except for their unhappiness. Thanks for posting it and their story.

Nancy: I couldn’t have put it better myself. They both had that “What on earth am I doing here” look in their eyes.