Sunday, December 27, 2009

The Adventure Begins!

Thirty-nine years ago today at three o'clock in the afternoon, LBeau and I were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Camden, Arkansas.  It was also a Sunday.

Kathy Larry wedding

Looking back, it's hard to believe my parents didn't put up a fuss about a wedding two days after Christmas.  But we chose the date very carefully.  I was teaching school in the Dallas suburb of Richardson at the time, and LBeau had just finished a master's degree at SMU.  I would be going back to work in a week, so the timing just seemed right.

Weddings were also simpler affairs in those days.  In fact, it was the custom not to send invitations to people in our small town.  An engagement announcement ran in the local paper, and people just assumed that if they knew you they were invited.

Since I was living in Dallas, I pretty much left it to my mother to plan the whole thing.  There was only one photographer in town, one lady who made wedding cakes, and a couple of florists.  Pretty easy compared to the decisions today's brides have to make.

Following the ceremony, we held the reception in the church fellowship hall.  We served wedding cake, mints, nuts and punch.  The whole thing, including the ceremony, probably lasted less than two hours.

Then LBeau and I were off for our honeymoon in Hot Springs.  We had planned to spend one night before heading back to Dallas for LBeau to attend a job fair.  We ended up skipping the job fair and staying two nights.

scan Returning to Dallas, we moved into an apartment near J. J. Pearce High School where I taught journalism and English.  In February, we loaded everything we owned into the smallest U-Haul trailer we could rent and moved to St. Louis for LBeau to take a job with Missouri-Pacific Railroad.

So that was the beginning of our great adventure.  Looking back at our first date (you can read about it HERE), I'd say it's amazing that I went out with him a second time.  But I've never been sorry I did, and I can't wait for the next 39 years.

19 comments:

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Happy Anniversary! Wishing you many more years of love together!

Jeanette said...

Happy Anniversary! Here's to many more years of happiness.

Keetha Broyles said...

You two were cute as buttons - - - and guess what? YOU STILL ARE!!!

susan said...

Kathy-Happy happy anniversary and congratulations! 39 years is no small accomplishment! I'd have killed my daughter if she had wanted to get married two days after Christmas, but as you said it was a simpler time then. You two made a darling couple then and you still do! ps-I had a pantsuit just like the one in the u haul picture--mine was red and black :)

nanny said...

What a sweet story, and I love the pictures.....Happy anniversary and here's wishing you many, many more!!! (I think I had a pantsuit just like yours/ha)
Weddings were a bit simpler then, uh. Had the same thing; cake, punch, nuts and mints.......

Debra Howard said...

Happy anniversary. May you be blessed with many more happy years.
Debbie

Signing Out said...

Happy Anniversary! Great story. Love the pictures.

Jane

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Happy Anniversary & Congratulations. Thank you for sharing the pictures, they are precious. I was married in '72, very familiar photos. Those were the days.

susan said...

We both left the reception in powder blue linen :) me- a jacket and skirt, him in a sport coat and pants! I miss that tradition, but it would be one more thing to buy and worry about!

Joyce said...

Happy Anniversary! It's a great story and I'm a fan of siimpler...weddings have become such events. 39 years is a wonderful thing...wishing you many more.

Baumbastic said...

Happy Anniversary! My parents were married on December 27, it must have been a good date for long-lasting marriages.

Unknown said...

Happy Anniversary. Gary and I will celebrate our 40th on January 24. Hard to believe this journey of ours has brought us here. Happy New Year to you and LBeau as well.

Tonja said...

sweet memories! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

Happy Anniversary Kathy! Such a sweet post!

O wish you many, many, many more years!

Lou Cinda

Robin said...

Happy Anniversary Kathy! Here's to 39 more!


{{{HUGS}}}

Robin :o)

xinex said...

Congrats and Happy Anniversary, Kathy! You are a perfect couple!...Christine

SouthernGal said...

Congrats! And many, many more!

Christi @ A Southern Life
http://asouthernlife.com

Sarah said...

Kathy, congratulations on 29 years together. This is a fun post. Thank you for sharing. I often wonder what happened to weddings with a simple reception in the church parlor with cake and nuts and mints? LOL
Love the idea of folks just showing up if they know you.
Happy New Year! ~ Sarah

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Kathy, your wedding looks and sounds so much like mine. you are right - it was so much easier then. What cute photos of the two of you! Hope you're having a wonderful time in Florida. laurie