Saturday 25 August 2012

Wedding Days

An entry to Sepia Saturday. "Using old images as prompts for new reflections"

Wedding of William Swindlehurst and Isabelle Hewitt
 The bride and groom are making a run for it in this photo, no gently floating confetti like at today's weddings but some serious rice throwing, no wonder William is fending it off with his bowler hat.  I have the man by the bush with the large moustache to the left down as the thrower. He looks to be enjoying the moment.  The children are all gathered at the far left.  At this point as was going to show a postcard of of the church path entrance but it is hiding somewhere in my collection so I will resort to a photograph
Beetham Church photo by Anne Bowker
of the floral archway of Beetham Church. The old postcard I have shows the archway much more luxuriant and completely covered by growth but this is what it looks like at the beginning of the 21st century rather than the 20th.  Getting back to my wedding postcards; the happy couple do not travel far for the wedding breakfast
William and Isabelle Swindlehurst
and pose in a more traditional and formal way at Hazelslack Tower Farm and like the church arch there are climbing roses.  I never met Aunt Bell but my Grandmother must have been fond of her because she had a lot of photos of her in her collection. Lastly another slightly informal portrait
The Hewitts
 of Isabelle with her brother whose name I do not know but I find it a charming photo, both with white gloves, her hand on his shoulder and his around her.  Meanwhile half seen in the doorway is the flat capped boy from the church photo.   

14 comments:

Queen Bee said...

Think this is the first old photo I've seen of rice being thrown at a couple after a wedding. Most old wedding photos seem to be more posed and formal. This is a fun shot. What a lovely church!

Peter said...

I had to smile about the last photo. I mean there is some intimacy there but on the other hand there is also so much distance (literally). And indeed, we now have a clue about when the rice tradition was already there. Presumably rice means luck except of course when a single grain ends up in your shoe :)

Bob Scotney said...

Fine sepia photos. The age of the church is enhanced by the tone in the first. Good for Cumbria.

21 Wits said...

Don't stand too close to me! Ha! Ha! Funny how some photos were taken back in the day! I love the rice throwing, although it's not allowed much any more here, they sure ducked from getting hit by it. Great sepia photos for sure!

Wendy said...

Rice hurts! I'm glad people don't throw it anymore. I enjoyed looking at these photos.

Postcardy said...

I love the rice throwing photo. The photo really captured the moment.

Kathy said...

What great photos! First time I had seen rice thrown in an older picture too. Love that last picture.

Brett Payne said...

A great sequence which tells the story nicely, thank you for sharing them.

Jana Iverson Last said...

What great photos!

That poor groom really did get pelted by the rice in that first photo!

North County Film Club said...

When I first looked at the top photo I thought "oh what a shame, it's raining on their beautiful day". Then I read your post and see that it was a rice downpour. What a great action shot.
Nancy

Alan Burnett said...

There is such quality in those images, they are full of interest and detail.

Tattered and Lost said...

That chapel shot is so wonderful. I love the small British chapels. There's a sense of community that you don't see in large, dare I say behemoth, "churches" of today.

Kathy H said...

I love the "action" photo!

Little Nell said...

How unusual to have a wedding picture of that era that is not stiff and formal. The rice-throwing picture must be a rare one. The casual pose in the last one is nt the norm either. Lovely photos.