March 4, 1953

Fifty-six years ago today my parents were married. This is their formal wedding portrait which was taken in a studio before the wedding. Both 19, they look so young. I don't know if the photos were taken early because there weren't photographers at weddings or for another reason. They had a church wedding and a reception that included a dinner at a local restaurant. It was a very small affair. I have the guest book from the reception, and there were less than 30 people there.

My mother wore a suit rather than a gown. She was poor as the proverbial church mouse. When she and my father met they were both 16, and my grandparents basically took her in. She tells of her first Christmas with them when just about every gift under the tree was for her.

Three years later they married. Just 19 years old, they expected my father to be drafted and sent to Korea. Rather than get their own apartment, after their honeymoon they went home and continued to live with my grandparents. The war ended later that year, and he was never drafted.

For their honeymoon they went to New York City and stayed in the Abbey Hotel for four nights. According to the receipt I still have, the room rate per night was $8.93 including taxes. The bill shows one charge for the valet for $1. They made three phone calls; two at 15¢ each and one long distance call for 84¢, no doubt a call to home.

Below are room service menus from the hotel. Take a look at these prices! Click on any to get a closer look.

And here are two matchbook covers with photos of them taken at the Latin Quarter, a club which in those days was located on Broadway.


Here's the drawing from the matchbook that I grabbed from the Internet. Looks like it must have been a fun place.



I'm so glad my mother hung onto these things over the years. It's so much fun to look back. Dad died in 2001 but it's still impossible to see this date come up on the calendar and not remember what happened on March 4 1953.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!