I have some photos that I might have shared before, of ancestors in wedding dresses.
First, my father's mother (Ada P. Swasey Rogers) wearing her wedding dress while holding her first-born son (not my father.)
She and my grandfather (George Elmore Rogers) were married on June 6, 1905, in her family home, and there's a wonderful newspaper article about the ceremony, the guests, and what everyone wore.
I've copied the wedding announcement here, which you can skip if you're not interested in tedious details from that era.
SOCIAL AND PERSONAL
In the presence of relatives and
friends
of the contracting parties, Miss
Ada Phillips
Swasey and Mr. George E. Rogers,
both of this city, were united in
marriage
yesterday afternoon at 5:30 o'clock
at the
home of the bride's parents, Mr.
and Mrs.
A. J. Swasey, No. 2223 Avenue K.
Dr. J. K.
Black, rector, of Grace Episcopal
Church,
performed the ceremony. The home
was
very prettily decorated with
smilax, palms,
ferns and white roses and
carnations, the
white and green color scheme being very
closely adhered to. The ceremony
was performed
in the front parlor, where before a
bank of Southern similax the bridnl
party
stood. Just before the ceremony
Miss Anna
Wilklns sang Mendelssohn's
"Spring Song"
set to words. The weddingj march,
the
bridal - chorus from
"Lohengrin," was
played by Prof. Smith, assisted by
the
Harpers. Rev. Black met the bridal
party
at the altar. The party was led by
the
groom and his best man, Mr. Charles
Ogilvy. They were followed by Miss
Anna
Lou Rogers, bridesmaid, and Mr.
Louis
White, groomsman. Miss Rogers was
gowned in a creation of white mouslin
d'soi
with white chantlliy lace, and
carried a
shower bouquet of bridesmaid's
roses tied
with meline. Miss Stella Swasey,
sister of
the bride and maid of honor, came
next.
Her gown was mouslln d'soi, trimmed
with
chantlliy lace, and she carried a
bouquet
of bridesmaid's roses. Lastly came
the
bride upon the arm of her father,
who gave
her away. Her gown was of point
d'sprit,
made over accordion pleated chiffon
and
taffeta and was trimmed in real
lace. Her
veil of tulle was caught with a
spray of
orange blossoms. She carried a
shower
bouquet of bride's roses. In her
hair she
wore a silver comb which had been worn
by her grandmother, about her neck
was a
necklace of pearls. The ceremony of
the
Episcopal Church was never more
Impressive
than on this occasion, and at its
conclusion
the guests gathered about the
young couple and showered them with
congratulations.
After the ceremony a reception-was
ren-
dered tho guests. Mrs. Swasey's
receiving
gown was of white chiffon, trimmed
in
bands of white lace. Refreshments
of Ice
cream, cakes and punch were served.
In
the cake cutting, Mr. Pearson
recovered the
ring, which he presented to the
maid of
honor, and Miss Laurel Dunn found the
thimble. The cake was cut with a
silver
knife, an heirloom, whose
usefulness 'dates
back to the time of the"
great-grandmother
of the bride. Miss Dunn also caught
the
bride's bouquet.
Mr. and Mrs. Rogers left last
evening at
7:30 for Denver, where the
honeymoon
will be spent. The bride's going
away
suit was cloth of gold, champagne
color,
with embroidered shirt waist.
The young people received a large
number
of presents. They included a large
amount of silverware, china sets,
cut glass
pieces and articles, both useful and
ornamental.
A number of congratulatory
telegrams
were received.
Among those from out of town in
attendance
at the wedding wore: Mrs. McCall
and
Mrs. King of Houston, aunts of the
bride:
Mrs. N. C. Munger and Mrs. W. A.
Grant
of San Antonio and Mrs. Sherwood of Houston.
* Source: THE GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE
7, 1906.
The next photo (shared again) is of my mother in her wedding outfit.
1936 is written above the caption of the picture. The date of the wedding was Nov. 21. It's really hard to read isn't it? So here are the tedious details of the next generation getting married.
Mrs. George E. Rogers Jr., prior to her marriage at 4 o'clock this afternoon in Laurel Heights Methodist Church, was Miss Mataley Mozelle Munhall, daughter of Mrs. Fred Munhall. The church was decorated with potted palms and tall flower baskets filled with white chrysanthemums and white gladioli. Rev. Robert E. Goodrich performed the ceremony in the presence of a large gathering of relatives and friends.
Mr. Fred Jones sang "I Love You Truly", being accompanied at the organ by Mrs. E. H. Lovelace.
The bride was given in marriage by her mother. She wore a becoming tailleur of wine colored wool trimed with a wide collar of fitch fur. Her off-the-face hat was of wine felt ornamented with a brilliant pin. She wore a corsage of tea roses.
Mrs. Munhall was in black trimmed with white, and black and white accessories. Her corsage was of gardenias.
Miss Kitty Beth Christian of Dallas was the maid of honor and only attendant. She wore a green suit with green accessories and a corsage of tea roses.
Chauncey Rogers of Houston was his brother's best man.
Mr. and Mrs. Rogers left immediately for a motor trip to the coast, the bride traveling in her wedding suit. Upon their return they will be at home at 1201 W. Woodlawn avenue.
A bit of trivia is that my paternal grandparents (who lived in the same city) refused to attend my parent's wedding because there was going to be liquor served at the reception. They were rather adamant teetotalers, weren't they? But the bride's family put on the party, and they were rather adamant drinkers! Already the in-laws were at odds!
Next I want to share some rings. I've given these to my eldest son, thinking maybe he or one of his chilrden will have some interest in them. My middle son already had seen them, and my sister sent them to me. I think the small high school ring may have been my mother's - Jefferson High School was where my parents met in San Antonio. She actually graduated before my father did.
The larger ring was the wedding ring which my mother's step father wore, Frederick Munhall.
The Inscription in the wedding band means "Whom
virtue unites, death will not separate" and was a "motto" with
additional smybolic graphics for 14th & 32nd degree Scottish rite
Freemasonry. However, perhaps due to the popularity of the sect in that
era, many other non-Masons used it in weddding bands, but Fred's being
a 32nd degree Mason, I believe it reflects his following of Freemasonry. This information is from my sister.
Finally, for the next generation (mine.) I didn't get to attend my elder or younger cousin's weddings, being too far away at the times. So here's one of them including my grandparents, which I dearly love. But whoever took the photo of the photo, didn't get it in focus enough, so it really doesn't matter which of my cousins it is. Sometime in the 1950s.
In case you're waiting for my wedding pictures, they are being saved for another occasion!
