Memory Monday - Wedding (Part II)...and the honeymoon!

“A wedding is an event, but marriage is a life.” 
― Myles Munroe,

The day has come...it is a sunny but cold day in December/Illinois.  The wedding is taking place at half past the hour of three.

My dad and I, getting ready to go down the aisle.

My dad who is usually a very jovial guy has a very serious look on his face..and funny thing, my sister got married about four years before I did and there is a picture of dad with Judy with the very same expression on his face!

Our wedding party consisted of  my sister as matron of honor and a junior bridesmaid. Nancy was a  daughter of good friends of my parents I had know all my life.  Most of my girl friends were already married or had moved away....and I really didn't want a huge wedding.  I had too many bridesmaids dresses that never got worn again and I didn't want to inflict that on my friends! Dick's brother, Fay, was his best man and my brother  was a groomsman. So we did the vows' thing...and exchanged rings (already tried on in the snow covered Rockies!).

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dodds

All of our album wedding pictures are in black and white..1963 style.. the one of Dad and me is color as are a couple others...probably taken by one of my cousins.  Anyway...on to the reception, held at the Old Orchard Country Club.  We had the traditional toast, cutting of cake, etc....no band or extras of any kind....just not done back then, at least not in Pittsfield.

The toast...at the wedding table

Pictured above from the left...Dick's dad, my mom, Dick, me, Dick's brother Fay and my sister Judy.

Then we, the newly weds, left the reception to go back to my mom and dad's so I could take off my wedding dress and get into my going away attire. Another tradition was for the bride to change from her wedding dress to a nice outfit to drive away.

On the way to change clothes

One little deviation from the norm was the driver of our "getaway" car...it was my mom!  Usually it is the best man or one of the groomsmen, but as we were going back to my home, my mom wanted one last goodbye!  And to get a picture of us on our way out!

And we are off on the honeymoon!

Honeymoons were not quite as flamboyant as they are today.  We went to St. Louis, Missouri for a couple of days....no reservations or particular plans! It was probably around 9:00PM when we got away.  St. Louis is about 1 1/2 hours from  Pittsfield.  We were pretty tired from our night before and all the tension of the wedding so we just checked into a motel as soon as we got near St.L.

 The next day we enjoyed some touristy things in the city...it was December 30th so all the Christmas stuff was still up...then that night we had a nice dinner and went to a movie.  It was "The Cardinal" an Otto Preminger film with Tom Tyron.  It was a big film in 1963....it brought out many controversial topics about the Catholic Church at a time when the church was going through some questionable dealings itself. I've linked you to IMDb info on it if you are interested.

1963 BlockBuster!

On December 31st, we returned to Pittsfield, to my parents, to spend New Year's Eve with my family and another big party at the American Legion!