My Wedding Day: June 4, 1944
Your July 13 issue of Bay Weekly weddings reminded me of my wedding, June 4, 1944, during the war years. My husband to be was stationed at the Air Force base in Massachusetts. The wedding was to take place in our hometown church in our small village in New York State. My sister was my maid of honor and my two cousins were bridesmaids. My husband’s sister was to sing; she had a beautiful voice and sang in the choir for years. The wedding rehearsal took place without my husband-to-be.
The next day could not be more beautiful: my wedding day! Everyone was ready except my groom. He needed to borrow a car for the trip to New York. Would he make it on time?
The wedding party was ready. The minister in the front of the church. The best man was standing by. Finally word came that my groom had arrived and was at the church’s side door. The organist was ready to play. My father was all ready to escort me down the aisle, and I felt like a princess.
Vows exchanged, we hurried out of the church to head to the photographer for our wedding pictures. We arrived only to find no one there. He had forgotten.
Meanwhile, the guests waited in the under-croft of the church. My mother made sandwiches and punch, and my aunt had purchased the cake.
When we got back to the church two hours later, some of our tired-of-waiting guests had already left.
My now-husband and I drove back to Massachusetts. We had three weeks together before he, who was the pilot, flew off with his crew to Italy. One year later we were back together.
He is now resting with the Lord along with everyone else in the wedding party pictures. My pictures hang in my bedroom. I am the only one left. By God’s will I soon will join them.
As I remember through all the chaos, it was still a very beautiful wedding.
Charlotte Delaney, mother of Allen Delaney, Bay Weekly resident humorist and author of Advice from the Altar in that week’s paper: http://bayweekly.com/articles/special-editions/article/advice-altar