A lot of things have changed since your grandparents were newlyweds, within the economy, technology available and cultural norms. It is no surprise that many grandparents are shocked by some of the big, modern weddings of today, and the behaviors of brides and grooms. When you consider the differences between the wedding of their day, and the weddings today, it is clear to see why weddings have become so expensive and so lavish.
The size and simplicity
The weddings of the 1950s era were much smaller affairs and were attended by family and a small number of friends. Your bridesmaids would be sisters and cousins, as opposed to lots of friends, and you would not have been hiring out huge venues. The local church was the place of the ceremony and the family home or a short walk to the local church hall would be the place for your respectable party.
Your mom and other female family members would help to prepare the cake and other bits of food for your wedding. Your dress may have been handed down or a work of your own tailoring skills, with a full veil, gloves and lots of lace.
The wedding rings were simple and passed down from family. Not like today, when many couples choose to have new ‘never worn before’ dresses and custom-made rings from places like jewellers Hertford.
Expectations and the honeymoon
Fifty plus years ago, you would be unlikely to be ‘living in sin’ before marriage. Brides and often grooms stayed in their family homes until their weddings, and so it was doubly exciting to become married. It would not only be that you became married, but it was also your first opportunity to be independent and live away from your parents.
This did mean that the expectations on the bride and groom for their wedding night and honeymoon were much bigger though. Your wedding night was likely to be the time of losing your virginity, and if you had not been educated by family or friends on what to expect, it could be a very awkward situation.
Wedding gifts given by guests were based on the next step of cohabitation, and consisted of objects for your first home, such as appliances, and tea sets. It was not the norm to purchase a couple an experience. Parents of the bride and groom were also expected to pay towards not only the wedding but also potentially the new home as well.
Finally, the honeymoon itself would be a small-scale holiday, and potentially a couple would need to wait to save, to go. Holidays at the beach nearest to where you lived for just a weekend, would be much more expected than going abroad.
More people since the pandemic have had scaled back weddings like the ones of the 50s due to restrictions lately. With the savings made, and intimate feeling of the day, some of these styles may be making a comeback!
