Twenty 1940s and 50s real world wedding photos

Every now and then I mull over the fact that I haven’t been to a particularly large number of weddings in my life. Somewhere between 7 and 9 of them, I do believe, to date. There are several factors behind this tiny number, such as that I come from a relatively small family (and am the oldest grandchild and first degree cousin, so my siblings and all of my cousins have yet to marry) and that my group of real world (aka, off-line) friends is quite compact, too.

Add to that the matter that I’ve moved numerous of times over the past decade or so, rarely settling down in one province (or country!) for too long, and thus not always building up a large group of friends and acquaintances. Toss in that I usually work from home (therefore making the kitty and husband my primary coworkers), and that my health often keeps me from joining social activities (sports teams, civic groups etc), and I can easily see why the number of wedding I’ve been do has to cross into double digit territory yet.
Not that I’m blue about this point or anything like that, especially since I know that several family members are, or will soon be, now old enough to contemplate marriage, if they so desire, and thus it’s likely that they’ll be more weddings for me to attend in the coming years.

Which is a very good thing because, you see, like many a gal, I rather adore weddings. I cherish the emotions that come with attending the nuptials of someone you care about (or even a stranger, really), the traditions and rituals of the ceremony, how each couple puts their own spin on things, and the sense of bliss and endlessly possibility that so often radiates from the bride and groom’s faces.

Then of course, there is the wedding dress, the colour scheme, the cake, the flowers, the jubilant mood, the speeches and toasts, the music, and the first kiss. It’s all rather magical and fantastic.

I do not, as of yet, have any weddings to attend this season, however I cannot help but find myself, on this serenely sun-kissed Sunday morning, yearning to take part, either as a guest or in the wedding party, in a wedding today.

Unless I crash one though (which I’d never do!), that won’t be happening though. No worries in the least, there’s always the next best thing (or third best, if you work in order of one’s own wedding, then being a part of someone else’s), and that is looking at vintage wedding photos.

Flickr is ripe with yesteryear wedding inspiration, and so it was there that I turned to find a trove of heartwarmingly wonderful, deeply beautiful 1940s and 50s photographs of real world couples celebrating what was, no doubt, one of – if not the single most – important days of their lives. Some weddings were lavish, others highly humble, and many (then as now) fell somewhere in between.

These images speak volumes unto themselves, and so I have not added my comments below each one (as I usually do with vintage photo filled posts, such as Saturday Snapshots). Their allure and appeal is only heightened by the fact that, upon looking at them, you can write the story of these lovely couples yourself in your mind.
 




































































































{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

Whether you’re attending a wedding a week this summer, just one, or (like me) don’t have any penciled in yet, I hope that you enjoy looking at these terrifically charming, perpetually special shots as much as I did – and that, should you happen to be planning your own marriage in the near future, you’ll be able to draw more than a modicum of inspiration from these timeless vintage wedding photos.

Here’s to the elegance, excitement, and wonder of weddings, and to all those lucky, gorgeous summer brides out there this year!

Ahhhh, to be a vintage spring bride

✯ Day 119 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It's been one of *those* months, my lovelies - oh, who am I kidding, it's been one of *those* years. Has - knock wood! - anything truly catastrophic happened? No, thank goodness, but plenty of small to moderate sized events, health problems, and worries have cropped up that have put something of a damper on what was supposed to be (and, to be fair, still could be if things took a turn for the better) a more positive years than 2010.

Still, no sense in bemoaning what you can't change, and I'm trying to improve those things that I can, so with any luck 2011 can still pull itself out of the fire at some point! In the meantime though, on days when regardless of the weather, it feels like those pesky grey clouds are hanging a little low, I like to a.) count my blessings and b.) find some purely beautiful vintage images to look as a means of helping to elevate my spirits.

Thanks to one of my absolute favourite Flickr streams of all time, that of the Charm and Poise, I was able to indulge in just the splash of vintage escapism I needed this morning, care of some absolutely gorgeous vintage bridal magazine covers that are to be found there.

 

 

One glance at the Spring 1955 cover of The Bride's Magazine above (as well as the others to be found in Charm and Poise's delightful Here comes the vintage bride set) and my fretful mind is whisked off to a near utopic paradise where brides are swathed in endless yards of whisper-blush pink tulle and all the world smells of gigantic English roses in bloom.

There is a copious dose of beauty, a great deal of appeal, and so very much that seems to have popped straight out of the pages of a fairy tale to love about this beguiling vintage bridal magazine cover. It's setting is more serene than nearly any wedding could likely ever be, its bride the absolute picture of soon-to-be wedded bliss.

This is the sort of image that sets vintage wedding loving hearts aflutter - and surely must stand to inspire those lucky gals who are planning their own nuptials at this very minute (who amongst us wouldn't all but die to wear that stunningly lovely dress?!).

After a few moments of letting my mind daydream about what it would have been like to be a bride in the spring of 1955 (complete with iconic single strand pearl necklace and regally elegant bouquet of white blooms), I really do feel as though things are looking up a bit today. Proof positive that few things can set the world right like a wonderful wedding! :)