Getting ready

I really am astoiunded by the quality of photography from my grandparent's wedding albums. Sure, there are "only" 20 photos instead of the 300 (of 1,000 shot) I'll get, but they are really good photos, and still encapuslate all of the wedding-day items that our photography will cover.

First, of course, is getting ready. This is Robert Heitstuman, aged 24, getting ready to be married early in the morning of October 3, 1951. I say early in the morning because their wedding ceremony was at 9 am, "Catholic Church Time", where before Vatican II women sat on the left with their heads covered, and men on the right. Full mass, although I'm not sure if it was in latin or not.

At 24 years of age, Bob had been fatherless for 15 years (father died when he was 9 years old). His older brothers Tom and Norm fought in World War II; Tom was killed in Normandy and is buried in the American cemetery at Epinol. Bob spent a few months working for the Northern Pacific Railroad, stationed out of Livingston, Montana (a story I want to examine more some day). He returned to Colton to help his mother with the farm, and also drove school bus, which is how he met Joyce Druffel.

Lets examine the details:

Double breasted suits, light in color. Rose bout for him, crysanthemum for his best man. Sculpted hair. I'm not even sure he needed to shave.

God, he was and still is handsome.

(DJ: Proceed at your own caution. Wedding dress photos ahead. I don't care if you see, but know you had reservations about it.)

This is Joyce Druffel, early in the morning of October 3, 1951. Her sister Pat is in the background.

Check out the subway tile? The glass dresing table? The glasses, and dark lipstick. The little jacket, with buttons up the front that she sewed to augment the strapless dress and please the Catholic church. Because a tulle jacket was so much more modest than bare shoulders? Look at Pat's double strand of pearls. The silk dress, which was copper in color. And what the heck was the veil/ headpiece?

We'll examine the floral arrangements later...