04 April 2008

Woollie Weddings

When I was home at my parents last weekend my mum was showing me an envelope that my dad had found in the attic......it contained all the cards and telegrams they received on their wedding day in 1964! In a time when everything is instantaneous and travel so much easier, it is funny to think of people not being able to attend weddings because it would take 2 days to travel from the States or that telegrams were sent as opposed to emails or text messages...but they are oh so much more cherishable....

From their collection it was obvious that there was a degree of service you could buy when sending a telegram - just a straight forward telegram that arrived on a sheet of paper with a postcode stamp, destination and point of origin or the wedding service that attached the same telegram sheet to a beautiful wedding card.

My parents received numerous telegrams. My mum's sister sent a telegram, as she was getting married 3 days later across the Atlantic in New Hampshire, USA, friends who were on holiday in the south of England etc.  

Some of the messages were very funny! Like this one:


"Today's the day, tonight's the night, we've shot the stork so you're alright!"

I actually had to ask my mum if that one meant what I thought it meant and that someone had read it out in front of her parents.....

Some were more touching:



"May your joys be as deep as Loch Ness and your sorrows as elusive as the monster"

The 1960s style wedding cards that the telegrams were inserted into were something special too!




19 comments:

amisha said...

di, i realized i didn't have your email address! i wanted to say thank you, so very much, for all your kind thoughts lately. i appreciate it so so much. xox

Charlie P said...

Wow! Thanks for sharing- those cards and telegrams are beautiful. E-mail may be quick but it's no substitute for real post.

p.s. your existence suggests that whatever Elizabeth and Leslie shot it wasn't the stork.

Beata said...

So precious... I absolutely love, love the one with the tulle veil!!

carolyn said...

These are so great...thanks for sharing!

montague said...

i was so moved by these sweet notes! we received a couple of telegrams on our wedding day since many relatives and friends of mine are in italy and couldn't make the wedding - it's still the old fashioned and *done* thing back there! i cherish them so dearly... maybe one day my kids will find the stack of our wedding notes and read them through and imagine what life was like in our time ;)

j said...

the cards are great. and telegrams- I don't think I've ever actually seen one. what a nice time you must have had, looking them over together

claudia said...

So nice. I had to ask my boyfriend about the first telegram (with the stork) since I was not to sure of its meaning (I'm French...not slow). Very funny :) Beautiful paper. Have a good weekend. xox

Manoute said...

They are really nice. I've never seen telegram like that before.

Anonymous said...

Oh these are great...the messages and the vintage charm.

dutchcomfort said...

Sometimes I long for those days. They were definitelt more romantic!

dutchcomfort said...

definitelY, yep definitely!

Olga said...

I just LOVE attics! Thanks for sharing these treasures!

Kate said...

Love those older illustrations - gorgeous.

Jade said...

I love the old romantic sentiments of letters and telegrams. Sad to know this generation of kids won't even know what a telegram is. I love the artwork, too. Thanks for sharing!

KR said...

What an incredibly touching testament to the timelessness of the written (or telegrammed) word. :)

I have some big news going on over at the blog. If you have a moment, stop on by and check it out. :)

HUGS!
Kristin
http://homegrownrose.typepad.com/reclaimingthehome

Unknown said...

What a lovely collection, it must have been quite emotional to look through them. I love those pictures, so stylised and colourful.

Monkee Maker said...

These are lovely .... the illustrations are gorgeous!

And only 6 photos? When you think how long the photo-shoot lasts these days .... while all the guests are standing around STARVING!! .... or is that just me?

;)

Bethany said...

Oh, I love them all!! And they are so funny! Why is it that we think people aren't as funny back then? Or is it just me?! I love the idea of getting a telegram. You should definately hang on to these :)

melissa said...

oh- i wish we still used telegrams!
these are gorgeous- i love the illustrations!
thank you for sharing them. x