We were married on October 12, 1974. We had planned a small wedding, but family and friends pitched in and before we knew it, we were having one great big party. Here is a selection of photos from the rehearsal party the night before, the wedding, and the gift-opening party the day after.
My brother Frank and cousin Robert were the photographers. We have taken photos of the old photos so the quality isn't the greatest, but they certainly capture the mood.
Rehearsal:
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Not sure how to describe this mood ... bored?
Darrel, Dave, Jackie, Loretta, Chris, Teresa, Anita. |
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| Now that's a better mood. |
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| Larry, Teresa, Di, Pat, Marleen, Dawn. |
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| Darrel, Larry, Doug, Gus. |
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Loretta and her bridesmaids,
Teresa and Anita |
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Gifts for the flower girl Jackie
and ring bearer Chris. |
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| Loretta, Ron, Anita. |
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| Ron concentrating. |
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Gift giving, watched by
Mrs. Gordeau, Merc, Rose, Christopher. |
The Wedding Day:
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| The bride-to-be with her dad and mom. |
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| Soon Gus will walk her down the aisle. |
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| The groom-to-be at his folks' place. |
At the church:
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| Dave and Rose |
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| Anita, Teresa, Chris, Jackie. |
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| Teresa is pregnant with Julie. |
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| Here comes the bride. |
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| The witness making it official. |
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| Just sign on the dotted line. |
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| Presenting Mrs. and Mr. Smith. |
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| This was the photo that we had framed. |
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Ducking the confetti.
John Ramage in the background. |
Photos from outside the church after the ceremony:
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Jackie's kiss interrupted by Darrel and Mike,
witnessed by Ron Barnes and Christopher.
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| Mrs. Gordeau and her husband behind her. |
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| Loretta's Uncle Herman. |
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| Teresa's husband Bob. |
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| Terry & Alice. |
Photos from the dance and buffet at the Pensioners and Pioneers Hall:
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| Our first waltz as a married couple. |
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Terry (Loretta's brother) was the
Master of Ceremonies. |
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| Loretta's Aunt Marguerite teasing Frank. |
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Loretta with her new
father-in-law, Mac. |
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| Gus and his little princess Jackie. |
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| Dawn, Len, Lynn, Elsie, Grace, Eva. |
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Stephie, Elaine, Robert,
and Jim & Jean Berezen with Anita. |
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| Jeanette, Herman, Bill, and Jeanette's son Jeff. |
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| The Band. |
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| Mike passed the shoe for some "start-up" funds. |
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| Merc and Gus. |
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| Jackie and Robin. |
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| Aunt Mary (Rose's sister). |
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| Michelle Peterson in the background. |
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| Ken Best, Ann Langford, Graham Langford. |
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| Ron had a long flight from San Francisco. |
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Bob Carmichael, Ann, Bruce Dockstader,
Ken Best. |
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| Di, Bob, Brian and Kathie Groves. |
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| Joanne Harrington. |
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| Bob, Ann, Bruce, Ken. |
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| Clint Adams, Michelle, George Wert, Dave, Ken, Bob. |
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| Grandma Lena with her great-grandson, Brad. |
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Marlene Bjarnarson, Pat Flagel, Alice and Bill Brunskill
talking to Gus. |
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| Photographer Frank (Loretta's brother) taking a break. |
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| Back to work. |
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| Brenda Groves, BJ, Ron, Marleen, Kathie. |
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Rose with Gord and Eileen Peterson.
Gord made the wedding cake.
Loretta went to school with their daughter Linda
who couldn't make it to the wedding. |
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The farewell waltz.
Some familiar faces not in other photos:
Bill and Betty Cook, Kathy Wert, Janet and Norm Barnes. |
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| Marleen (Darrel's sister) on the cleanup crew. |
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| Just shaving cream that the rain washed off. |
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| (I'm sure she'll fit.) |
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| Off to the Bessborough Hotel. |
Next Day: Gift Opening
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Chris was our helper.
(Note - Loretta eventually became the proud
owner of the piano in the background). |
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We still have this ornament -
a drinking man lazing on a sleeping hog. |
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| Dawn also gave us a hand. |
All in all, we had so much help from so many people and our immense gratitude hasn't faded an iota. We will never forget the day that Grandma Elsie encouraged us to not have a big wedding. "Just do it" was her famous advice that now is worn on t-shirts. As it turns out, with so many helping hands it was bigger than anything we would have planned on our own.
What we are especially thankful for:
Mac and Merc (Darrel's folks) for finishing their basement for our events - and where we actually planned to have the wedding ceremony.
Gus and Rose (Loretta's folks) for insisting that a wedding party isn't complete without a band and booze.
Grandma Elsie (Merc's mom) for her good advice to "just do it" and for finding our church and our hall and our live entertainment. A well-connected lady.
Grandma Elsie, Merc, Rose and numerous others for providing the food for the buffet.
Anita (Loretta's sister) for sewing all the dresses in such a short time-frame.
Frank (Loretta's brother) and Robert (Loretta's cousin) for the photography.
Terry for being M.C.
Ron (Loretta's brother) for cutting an exciting vacation short so he could be at the wedding.
The wedding party - bridesmaids Anita and Teresa, groomsmen Ron and Brian, flower girl Jackie, ring bearer Chris, guest book handler Dawn, ushers Bob Carmichael and Dave Hudson.
The decorating and cleanup crew - consisting mostly of the Smith Family headed by Marleen.
Everyone who travelled to attend our special event.
Everyone who didn't travel to attend, but nonetheless took time to be part of our special day.
It has been so much fun reliving the event.
And we even got a telegram:
The only sad part is wishing "Rest in Peace" to those
family members and friends who are no longer with us today.
Always in our hearts:
Grandma Elsie
Grandma Lena
Mac and Merc
Gus and Rose
Chris
Terry
Ron
Mike
Ron Barnes
Ken Best
and so many others.
Rest in Peace
~~~ Bye for now, Loretta and Darrel. ~~~
