I have found a delightful book called the ABC of Weddings, and it was written in 1938!
Oh how this highlights just how much things have changed - and not all for the good!
So, as Valentine’s day is looming, I thought I would share some of this book with you.
"So you are going to be married!
You've said "Yes" to the right man, and you are delightfully self-conscious and very proud of that glittering symbol on the third finger of your left hand.
You want to tell the world just how lucky you are - and there are several ways to do this. You can send an announcement to your local newspaper or to a national newspaper such as the Daily Telegraph or the Times."
The book goes on to give advice on what to write in the announcement, and whether the engagement should be long or short.
As the wedding day looms, you will need to decide where to live.
"Where you will live depends very much on your future husband’s job. Don’t be tempted into paying more than you can really afford in rent, just because the little place is charming, and just what you have dreamed about. Too many young couples budget wrongly in this way. Never spend more than a fifth of your entire income on your roof. Between a sixth and a fifth - but no more. This gives a £5.00 a week man 20 shillings, and he should be able to find a delightful little home for that."
Oh if only!!
There is advice on colour schemes and furnishings, some of it holds true today. For example: "Beware of fussy and over-ornamented furniture. You will be sick and tired of it in a year’s time. Highly decorated furniture wears badly and is difficult to keep clean."
"The second-hand shop can be a veritable gold-mine to young home-makers"
There is then a chapter on Preparing for the Wedding.
"The most important thing about any wedding, big or small, grand or simple, is that the bridge and groom themselves should thoroughly enjoy the day.
The best way of achieving this enviable state of affairs is to have just the type of wedding you prefer and not the sort of wedding your family or friends think you ought to have."
Advice on having a Quiet wedding, Formal Wedding - then the reception, should it be cocktails or a sit down Breakfast, Grand Tea or Sherry Party.
There’s so much more, so I have decided to do another blog - perhaps next week.
Submitted by Caroline Frankson who runs A2B Household Clearance & Removals