Wedding preparations underway
It was nearing the end of 1968, the date for our wedding was fixed and I now started to think about my wedding dress. I knew I wasn’t going to buy a ready made dress. I planned to make my own. I had been making my own clothes for a while now, so I was quite confident I could do it.
It was going to be a March wedding and as March in the UK is not very warm, and often very windy, I decided on white velvet.
I had made a dress for my 21st birthday party and liked the style so I decided to modify that pattern by making the sleeves longer and the dress full length. You can just make out the waistband in the photo of my brother and I at my 21st party.
To top it off, and in my usual ‘need to be different’ I was going to have a bottle green cloak, with rounded corners, that would trail behind on the floor and no veil. Instead I would have a white velvet tiara.
My time spent working in the theatrical costumers as a designer, was now going to come in very useful. I had managed to acquire many boxes of beads and paste jewels, along with the knowledge of sewing them on. The dress had a waistband that was fixed under the bust. I decorated that with green and white jewels to match the cloak and put the same design on the tiara. I was faced with a problem when it came to how I was to fix the cloak. It was very long and heavy and I ran the risk of most fixings pulling undone. I decided that I had to have straps to put my arms through so my shoulders would take the weight.
Whist I was busy making my dress, Jim was organizing his outfit. He chose a deep red velvet suit and a white ruffled shirt.
Just to be different, we didn’t have bridesmaids. We had two of my young nephews as pageboys. My aunt made their outfits for me. They were black velvet suits with just under the knee britches, ruffled shirts and long socks all dyed a pale green to match my cloak, with silver buckled, patent shoes. They looked so cute!
Instead of the usual Wedding March, we decided to have ‘The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ We spoke to the organist at the church and luckily he was able to play it.
It was all taking shape now. All that was left was Derek! He had agreed to be best man, but refused to wear a suit. Finally Jim got him to agree, as long as he could choose his own. We were left wondering what he would be wearing on the day. We hadn’t given Jane a thought.
My eldest brother was busy making our wedding cake, which was to be a surprise. It certainly was a surprise!
Stumble it!
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Jaffer
| 18 September 2008 at 16:31
A velvet wedding – that would have looked richesse !
With all that I can only imagine Derek and Jane showing up in a state of undress.
LOL !
grannygrimble
| 18 September 2008 at 16:33
Which Aunt made the pageboys suits? Was it Audrey?
The cake was a combined effort between Doug and I, as I was working with him at that time. I can’t wait to see the photos of your wedding dress. Memories Aaaaasah!
grannygrimble’s last blog post..OLD LOVE RE- REVISITED
Sandie
| 18 September 2008 at 18:15
Yes, that was a beautiful dress. You were very talented for someone so young. It was a very colourful wedding:0)
Babs - beetle
| 18 September 2008 at 23:50
Jaffer: With Jane & Derek you never knew what to expect :O)
grannygrimble: Not too many photos, only snapshots that friends took I’m afraid.
Sandie: It certainly was a different wedding
Babs – beetle’s last blog post..Who is this man?
Ana
| 19 September 2008 at 11:52
I would love to see some photos of the big day and your dress! It’s great to have such a talent and be able to make the dress yourself!
Ana’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Soul of a Cat
Ivanhoe
| 19 September 2008 at 13:36
That dress must have been beautiful. Will you post pictures of you in it? Please? Pretty please
)
Ivanhoe’s last blog post..EC Advertisers
beetle
| 19 September 2008 at 13:45
Ana: I will post a photo, but sadly only a snap shot taken by a friend. All my actual wedding photos were ruined by the photographer!
Ivanhoe: Yes I will, but you can’t see the cloak unfortunately.
Liudmila
| 19 September 2008 at 13:48
And your parents, what said they about these colors? I think it was not usual for that time. Specially if you had to go in church… I remember, people were not content if the colors were not traditional in first 80-th.
beetle
| 19 September 2008 at 14:02
Liudmila: It was the late 60’s and my parents were colourful people. They always taught us to be our own person, and not to follow the crowd. I do think the priest raised his eyes a tad as I walked down the aisle though. Although he had already seen Jim in his red suit :O)
Swubird
| 19 September 2008 at 14:16
Babs:
What a fantastic story. Are you ever going to tell us more about the cake, and what Derek wore?
These are absolutely wonderful stories, and I love the old photographs. Unfortunately, hundreds of my old photos were lost somewhere down the line.
Happy trails.
Swubird’s last blog post..THE TENTH COMMANDMENT
Liudmila
| 19 September 2008 at 14:16
Seems without CommentLuv everything is ok.
beetle
| 19 September 2008 at 17:07
Swubird: Ha ha! Yes, the next post will be the actual wedding :O)
Liudmila: How strange. I am glad you can still comment though. I would miss them :O)
Jay
| 19 September 2008 at 19:26
I wanna see pictures too!
We only have snapshots that friends took from our wedding too! And I wore a white seersucker dress with deep yellow/gold trimmings and matching gold braid on a white picture hat. I didn’t have bridesmaids either! But hey, our marriage lasted where many full-scale productions did not, and I think I had the better bargain.
beetle
| 19 September 2008 at 20:17
Jay: That sounds lovely! At the end of the day it’s not what you wear but who you marry that’s important ;O)
chat blanc
| 19 September 2008 at 22:12
I’m always in awe of people like you who can sew. I never really learned. Your dress sounds lovely! And having everything be so unique is so awesome!
chat blanc’s last blog post..Freakin’ Friday
beetle
| 19 September 2008 at 22:36
Chat Blanc: It was really because my mother always mad clothes. I automatically tried it and found I had the knack for it. I hasten to add, I don’t sew any more!
Maureen
| 20 September 2008 at 1:24
I sewed my dress too! But I was not as brave as you and stuck to a traditional dress with lace and all.
The only things I have sewn since are Halloween costumes.
Can’t wait to read more and see some pics!
Maureen’s last blog post..Closet Geek
beetle
| 20 September 2008 at 1:54
Maureen: I am getting worried now. I don’t think the dress will match up to peoples expectations. It was a very simple style. And the photos are bad.
Lady Banana
| 20 September 2008 at 13:57
Sounds wonderful to have made your own wedding dress even if it was simple, it’s unique and yours
beetle
| 20 September 2008 at 18:59
Lady Banana: Yes, that why I made it. I did so like to be different
Kathy
| 21 September 2008 at 22:09
I’m so impressed you sewed your dress yourself. I can barely sew a button. I didn’t have a veil either, just a simple comb with some flowers on it. The veils I tried on made my big head look even bigger!
Looking forward to the next installment in the story
beetle
| 21 September 2008 at 23:21
Kathy: Ha ha ha! I don’t believe it! The big head I mean. The next installment may be a bit of a longer post
Lauren
| 22 September 2008 at 14:44
You sound so much like my mother, who loves to be different. Her wedding dress was also from the 60’s and she had angel wings and almost no waist, and she designed it with the dress maker. You two crack me up!
Lauren’s last blog post..PC And NOT The Useful Kind
JD at I Do Things
| 23 September 2008 at 14:56
I hope this is “to be continued”! I love the photo — you and your brother are so cute! And the dress looks gorgeous. You know you HAVE to post photos of that wedding dress, even tho your description made it come alive for me.
More! More! More!
JD at I Do Things’s last blog post..I Get Free Stuff so you don’t have to
beetle
| 23 September 2008 at 15:20
Lauren: Oh, it is good to be different – and a bit nutty ;O)
JD: I am working on the final installment now ;O)
Kirschner
| 6 April 2009 at 7:25
Success always comes after failure
So let’s cheer up. 