Weddings of the Past

My mother got married quickly because it was during the war and her husband, Art Gilbert couldn't get a job at the high school as the football coach unless he was married. She had no wedding dress, reception, honeymoon, fancy presents or any kind of hoopla. I think she was always sad about that. But I think my favorite part of this story is that later on, her younger sister, Bobette--the bride in the above picture, had the whole hoopla. Mother never once expressed any sort of jealousy or resentment toward Bobette, getting all the fun things she missed as a young bride. I loved her for that. I think that was one of her best qualities--the ability to accept life as it came and move on without feeling sorry for herself. And then not resent others for having what she didn't. Una, the first one on the right, sewed a lot of the brides dresses and sewed Bobette's wedding dress. Don't you love the flowers at the waist? Mother is the third one in on the right.