How To Have Your Grandmothers Wedding
Pop-up weddings have always existed,
even if they were not named as such. For some people this approach will always result in the perfect wedding – simple, intimate, and fun. It’s easy to focus on the best part of your wedding day when you’re not worrying about whether the napkins match the flowers, or whether the caterer has enough mini-éclairs. A simple ceremony allows the most important parts of a wedding day – love, commitment, and celebration – to create their own ambiance and atmosphere. If I want proof of that theory, I only have to look back two generations, to my grandmother’s wedding, to see it in action.
My grandmother was a war bride. The original plan between her and my grandfather – the two were high school sweethearts – was to wait until “all of this war business” was over before they got married and started a family. But war has a funny way of changing plans, the result of which was a speedy wedding held January 30, 1945 during a rare period of shore leave after a prolonged separation.
My grandfather was home, but they did not know for how long. He had just finished extended tours in the South Pacific, surviving injury, malaria, and being lost behind enemy lines. This stark reality of war- time romance meant that my grandparents decided to take advantage of their brief reunion to marry, cementing their bond so they could face the unknown together. They were married within days of my grandfather’s return, with only their family and closest friends as witness.
In spite of the austere circumstances, the deprivations of war and the limitations of rationing, their pictures are serene, joyful, and inspiring. It is clear that, for their wedding, my grandparents needed only each other, and the opportunity to formalize what was already in their hearts. This was the theme of so many weddings held during that time, and it captures the essence and the spirit of today’s pop-up wedding.
War-time weddings were typically thoughtful, simple, and discrete affairs. Granted, this was often by necessity – goods were rationed and people had to “make-do” – but these events were never short on emotion, and that is the take away. As John Lennon wrote some 20 years later “Love is all you need” and that is certainly the case with pop-up weddings. You pick the setting, bring the love, and that is all you need.
Going back to the idea of simple, intimate, and fun; that is the example to look to when having your grandmother’s wedding. If the idea of a no-fuss event sounds appealing; if you feel like all you really need is you, your partner, and maybe a small group of intimates; if the ceremony is just a means for formalizing what you already know to be true; or if you just want to save time, materials, and sanity then consider having your grandmother’s wedding with a modern day twist. A pop-up wedding will be able to capture a spirit of simplicity that will stand the test of time. Your grandmother would be proud.
Guest blow by Lillie Read. A Georgia native with a passion for literature, art, and history. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, working on her house – which she shares with a husband and two spoiled cats – and exploring the world around her.