{Mike Pepper, mom’s brother, took the pictures}
Today’s real wedding takes us back almost 33 years ago, to my parents wedding. Long before Style Me Pretty or Martha Stewart, families made do to give their daughters and sons the wedding of their dreams without inspiration everywhere. This meant handmade wedding gowns, stitched seam by seam with love, and pretty bouquets created with blooms from the garden. Less focus on what everyone else was doing and more focus on the moment. Oh, to be transported back in time! From what I hear, my grandmother Mimi (all the way to the left in the image above) declared the need for a grand march after the reception at my aunt and uncle’s house; meaning patriotic marches were played and everyone marched all around the house, through the kitchen, through the backyard, and back through the front door. What I wouldn’t give to join in that party!
You might recognize a few things from my parent’s wedding that we used for our big day: Mom’s dress and mantilla veil, both of which were hand sewn by my grandmother (in the pretty pink dress next to Mom, far right in picture at top). I enlisted my dress maker to create a shorter version of Mom’s dress so that I could wear it again (all with mom’s blessing and excited approval, of course) and squeezed myself in to it for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I also wore her mantilla veil on my wedding day! It was so special to me.
I know I’m biased but isn’t she pretty? My mom is such an amazing person; she is a music teacher for middle school students in New Haven, CT and she pours her heart and soul in to teaching those kids. She has affected them more than she knows, and really turned some of their lives around through the power of music! Long live arts/music programs in schools! My Mom is also a collector of quotes - she has notebooks upon notebooks filled with her favorite quotes that she has found through the years. I think this is such a special thing; something that makes her happy.
Dad at Mimi’s house before the ceremony, getting ready with his siblings and holding my cousin Adam.
I love these classic shots and I think they were on to something: blush pink bridesmaid dresses (also made by my grandmother) with little lace “bonnets” for the ladies, charcoal gray suits for the guys, and simple daisy bouquets? Love.
From Dad, the groom: My favorite part of the wedding was the two of us walking together out of the church.
From Mom, the bride: I think my favorite part of the wedding day was when Uncle Michael took pictures of our hands with the rings, and dancing to our song “Kiss Today Goodbye”.
Tulle and baby’s breath on the cake, anyone? Love this.
From Mom: The secret to staying married is remembering team partnership - not dominance, never undermine the other parent’s decision, and, during the toughest times remember why you fell in love with him. Ask yourself if you really want to grow old without them.
From Dad: The key to successful marriage is to never go to bed angry… sometimes being right isn’t always right - choose when it’s important enough to be right in a discussion. And when you’re as wonderful as I am, how can things not last?
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
love this post… thank you for sharing!
That is so sweet. I love looking at old pictures!
A very very special post. Lovely.
Wow this is classic, now I know what vintage wedding look like thanks for sharing.
Wow this just amazes me. So many details here look like they can be from a wedding happening in 2011. Looks like a happy day! Thanks for sharing such intimate pictures! XO
How lovely! I love what you did with the dress - and that veil! Wow. Your grandma is one talented lady! They look so happy :)
Really touched by this post. My parents have very similar photos from their Connecticut wedding in ’71, too!
This was so sweet. Thank you for sharing.
Such a beautiful wedding. I love looking at old wedding photos from my parents and grandparents. Thanks for sharing!
This is SO classic and amazing. Love this post. Dan’s parents were married almost 30 years to the day of our wedding, in the same church. …we watched their video and it was insane watching them walk down the same aisle we did that doesn’t look a bit different!
Nicely Done!
I love that you shared this! Really special post
such a beautiful tribute to your parents. It was such a beautiful wedding, and I love how you incorporated elements of it into yours! Thanks for sharing!
SO nice Jacin…I love this!!!
This is freaking awesome.
Absolutely beautiful. Your mom is a vision. I can see why you wore her veil…it is perhaps the most gorgeous mantilla I’ve ever seen.
I love this! So much, Jacin. The shot of everyone waiting to go down the aisle, with your Grandpa beside your Mom gave me goosebumps. Sigh I just LOVE that moment :) xoxo
Beautiful, beautiful! What an awesome wedding tribute to them! I love your veil even more now knowing it was worn by your mom!! So sweet! =)
This is too sweet!
This totally brought a tear to my eye! I love this tribute post to the p’s. It can safely assume they are still married, which is such an awesome accomplishment. Mine are actually celebrating their 30th this weekend!
Love the guy’s suits! I don’t know if we’ll ever see this Liberache tux again. The dresses do reflect the Prairie Revival of the time and these images are so precious for so many reasons
This is so touching, I love it and am so happy you shared - and I’m teary eyed just thinking of you incorporating so many of their elements into your wedding - LOVE! :)
I love it! What a sweet post! It looks so similar to my parent’s early 80′s wedding (before big sleeves, it still looked very 70′s)!
I love this, so sweet and I love your mom’s advice. I think it is so neat that you used her dress and wore her veil and yes she is gorgeous!
What a thoughtful post, Jacin. Thanks for sharing with us. I love how you incorporated pieces of your mom’s wedding into your own day. Such beautiful moments captured here. My parents wedding looked very similar :) that peachy- pink color was big back then!
xoxo, chrissy from the perfect palette.
Awwwww, Jacin, I’m loving this!!!!!!! I’m gonna tear up.
That’s fabulous and you’re parents and my parents were married the same year. You almost have your parents wedding anniversary too :) My parents were married November 25, 1978. I LOVE looking at my parents wedding photos. In fact I have them on my work computer…. they appear every so often (my desktop photo changes regularly.
I loved what your mom said about do want to grow older without them by your side.
This is awesome. I love their advice - and I admit I giggled out loud when I read your Dad’s “And when you’re as wonderful as I am, how can things not last?” Hah!
best. post. ever!! love your mom’s veil!!
Don’t you just love the clothes? My parents were married in 1974 and I always marvel at what they and their guests were wearing when I go through their album. xo style, she wrote
This is so beautiful and so special. I love their advice…especially when your dad said, “And when you’re as wonderful as I am, how can things not last?” He sounds like a great guy! And I love what your mom said, “Ask yourself if you really want to grow old without them.” Thats just so great because when it comes down to it, after getting in a silly little argument nothing else put the love and growing old together is what it really is all about. I dont think I could ever imagine not growing old with my husband. Your mom is so beautiful. Their whole wedding but beautiful, but simple…and thats what it should be about too when it comes to weddings and planning a wedding. Love that you wore her dress and veil…wow the veil is gorgeous! Happy day to you Jacin! <3
“meaning patriotic marches were played and everyone marched all around the house, through the kitchen, through the backyard, and back through the front door. What I wouldn’t give to join in that party.” Didn’t know this was a Page family tradition. I remember doing this at Stanley’s house…tracking freshly mowed grass through his house! As a child that stick in my mind…fun, fun, fun!
Oh Jacin, this is so sweet! What a perfect wedding feature!
i am all teary-eyed over here - what a WONDERFUL post!!!
Best wedding feature EVA!!!
Stephen looks just like Todd in a few pictures. Wow, I was 16 when they got married. I think I even remember the wedding.
Beautiful pictures, Jacin! Makes me so happy.
I have a memory of your mom in the window of my Grammy’s kitchen (in our home town of National City). This was the early 1970′s, and Princess Ann of Great Britain had just gotten married. Of course for years, everyone in our family called your mom “Miss Ann”. At the time I was either 4 or 5 years old and thought your mom was the Princess Ann everyone was talking about. She was so pretty and special! To think that MY cousin was the princess! LOL
:) Lannie
Awe - Thanks Lannie.
So beautiful.. I didn’t realize that you wore your mother’s veil. I can only imagine how special that was for you! I find it so interesting how your mom kept her veil on throughout the whole wedding and reception.. I don’t you see that too often now a days!
How fun this is! Your mom and uncles were known to us San Diego Peppers, but since they spent most of their youth on the East coast, they were sort of like celebrities to this younger cousin : ) Getting to see these wedding pictures 33 years after the fact is not only a real treat, but reminds me how, let’s say, “uncomplicated”, weddings used to be. Like you said, it was all about the moment, the getting married part. I remember going to alot of those kinds of weddings as a girl - now they’re so creative and personal and fun, like yours was. I especially like the idea of the grand march!
That is a great post…….really sweet sentiments about your parents….i can remember bumping into them on the Guilford Green (they were snuggled up on a bench) and wishing them a great day for the wedding, which was about a week away. Thanks for that wonderful post, Jacin !
your parent’s wedding was gorgeous! wow, def. looks like they were a head of their time … the pink and gray! so beautiful! and your mom veil is just stunning … how awesome is it that she saved it all that time for you to wear it on your special day!
Jacin - this is soooo wonderful. I love it!!!! Thank you so much for sharing our special day on you site. It meant so much to me. I still smile from ear to ear when I think of your wedding, and your thoughtfulness to use my dress and mantilla means more than words can express. I am so proud and honored. How fun to see these pics, and the pics of you. Great days-both! May you and Patrick be blessed with the same friendship and love your father and I share all the years of your life. XO Marm
Jacin I enjoyed the pictures and post so much!!
Smiling from ear to ear! Happy anniversary to the ‘rents! A special post for such a special family, who constantly reminds me what is really important!
XO