Stolder and Lemmer wedding. Groom with bride in arms at threshold of building in this late 1953 photograph. Building has high, Colonial embellished entry and transom over double entry doors. Metal railing and steps are covered with light snow and ice.

Weddings--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960; Wedding clothing & dress--1950-1960;

A style show featuring a bride's trousseau occurred at the Tacoma Lawn Tennis Club during the time of the annual Delta Delta Delta Pansy Ring Tea in May, 1954. Models portraying the bridal party stand in front of the Ring of flowers. Both attendants and the bride carry wreaths of flowers, perhaps dahlias, to correspond with the circular theme. Mrs. Paul Whitcomb, the former Janet Erickson, models a wedding gown with flowing train. Mrs. Whitcomb was the former 1953 chapter president of Delta Delta Delta. Her groom in the photograph is Warren Hunt of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Mr. Hunt is a graduating senior from Puyallup, a business administration major, and former student body president. The bridal attendants were Barbara Schaller and Nancy Cranston. (TNT 5-2-54, D-4)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960; Wedding costume--1950-1960; Flowers--Tacoma; Whitcomb, Janet; Hunt, Warren; Schaller, Barbara; Cranston, Nancy;

Okano-Komoko wedding. A group of well-wishers greet the newlyweds as they exit the Tacoma Hongwanji Buddhist Church on June 9, 1958. The smiling bride carefully watches her footsteps as she descends the small steps while her beaming groom acknowledges the crowd. Sepia photograph ordered by Midori Okano.

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960; Tacoma Hongwanji Buddhist Church (Tacoma); Japanese Americans--Tacoma;

Belgarde-Murphy wedding. A young couple, believed to be Mr. and Mrs. Ted Murphy, pose for photographs prior to their home wedding on May 17, 1958. They are taking advantage of the sunny morning to be photographed outdoors. She is wearing a sleeveless satin gown with full skirt and short veil and clutching a bouquet of carnations. The groom is by her side, holding her hand. Sepia photograph ordered by Mrs. Ted Murphy.

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wedding costume; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960;

The twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Green, Marlene and Darlene Green, were married in a joint wedding ceremony at the Little Church on the Prairie, 6310 Motor Ave. S.W. in Lakewood, on August 11, 1954, their birthday. The two brides posed side-by-side in identical wedding gowns in front of the church altar. Both are wearing gowns heavily decorated in lace and satin covered with net. They appear to be carrying stephanotis bouquets and they have matching pearl necklaces. Marlene Green married Claude Flansburg while Darlene wed William Melville. (TNT 6-20-54, D-9, engagement picture, and information provided by family)

Twins; Weddings--Lakewood--1950-1960; Wedding costume--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Bouquets;

Haley wedding. Frank Haley and his bride Nell peer out the window from the back seat of a two-door sedan after their wedding ceremony which took place in May of 1938.

Weddings--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Grooms (Weddings)--1930-1940; Haley, Frank; Haley, Nell; Haley, Frank--Family; Automobiles--1930-1940;

On April 16, 1937, St. Paul Methodist Church held a double "Tom Thumb" wedding to raise funds for their missionary society. "Tom Thumb" weddings were held in the early 1900's as a social event; they were recreations of the 1863 wedding of P.T. Barnum's most famous attraction, the midget Charles Stratton (exhibited as Gen. Tom Thumb) and the equally tiny Lavinia Warren. Children doubled in the Tom Thumb pageants as the tiny couple. The St. Paul event starred, left to right, Eddie Goodenough as the minister, Curtis Killian as Tom Thumb, Shirley Clark as the bride Jennie June, Billy Goettling as the second groom Fred Finger and Barbara Ann Bowen as the other bride, Nellie May. The couples were four years old. All together, over 100 children, ranging in age from 4-11, took part in the event, impersonating the wedding party and its famous guests. (T. Times 4/16/1937, pg. 8)

Children playing adults; Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Wedding clothing & dress--1930-1940; Grooms (Weddings)--1930-1940; Goodenough, Edward; Killian, Curtis; Clark, Shirley; Goettling, William; Bowen, Barbara Ann;

Nancy Hewitt posed with her bridal party on her wedding day, June 28, 1939. The bride and eight attendants in long dresses held bouquets in front of a large window. The wedding was held at the Hewitt family home 615 No. E. St. Amy Lou Murray located second from right. (filed with Argentum)

Hewitt, Nancy--Marriage; Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Wedding clothing & dress--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940;

Allen - Brewster wedding. Lilly Catherine Allen and Benjamin J. Brewster were married at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Allen, on October 7, 1939. The new Mrs. Brewster is pictured above in her gown of white satin and fingertip veil. She wore a large corsage of gardenias and roses. White and yellow 'mums and blue Michaelmas daisies provided an attractive setting for the wedding which was officiated by Rev. L. Edgar Taber and attended by close friends and relatives. The groom, Benjamin Brewster, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Brewster. Both bride and groom graduated from Lincoln High School. The Sonya Mae Apartments was the couple's first home. (T.Times 10-10-39, p. 9-article; TNT 10-10-39, p. 8-article; T.Times 10-28-39, p. 4-cropped photograph)

Weddings--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Wedding clothing & dress--1930-1940; Allen, Lilly Catherine--Marriage;

Wedding of Joyce Rosene and Robert Ellett at First Congregational Church. The bride and her attendants pose on the altar of the church on March 19, 1940. Joyce is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luther W. Rosene of Tacoma and Robert, the son of Senator and Mrs. A.O. Ellett of Salt Lake City, Utah. Standing with the bride (order not determined) are: maid of honor Elinor Perkins, matron of honor Mrs. Austin Gibbons, bridesmaids Lillian Morisse, Mrs. Ernest J. Estes, Betty Donahue and Frances Newell, junior bridesmaid Betty Lou Babnick and flower girl Dorothy Ellen Babnick. Bernice Morse and Eunice Washburn also participated in the wedding as candlelighters. The best man (not pictured) was Glen Rosene, brother of the bride. (T.Times 3-6-1940, p. 9-announcement of wedding party; T.Times 3-20-1940, p. 11-article on wedding only) (filed with Argentum)

Rosene, Joyce Elizabeth--Marriage; First Congregational Church (Tacoma); Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Wedding clothing & dress--1940-1950; Wedding attendants--Tacoma;

June 6, 1942 wedding of Barbara Bartley and William J. Rankin at Ferguson Chapel, First Presbyterian Church. Ruth Anderson served as her best friend's Maid of Honor and was attired in pink. Marianne Bartley, sister of the bride, and Joizell Wilkenson were bridesmaids; one was dressed in yellow and the other in aqua. Dale Darling was Best Man, assisted by Clinton Nordquist and Mose Dieffenbach. (T. Times 6/12/1942, pg. 8-announcement)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bartley, Barbara Joyce--Marriage; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Rankin, William J.; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Wedding clothing & dress--1940-1950;

Friends of the bridegroom provided the music for the June 6, 1942 wedding of Barbara Joyce Bartley and William J. (Bill) Rankin. Pictured are Bill Rhodenbough, organist, and Bob Kirkpatrick, soloist. The pair performed the classic "Oh Promise Me." (T. Times 6/12/1942, pg. 8)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Rhodenbough, Bill; Kirkpatrick, Bob;

Marion Roseann Burns, now Monroe, shows off her wedding ring to a group of men that possibly includes her husband, Thomas Harbine Monroe, and his groomsmen. Best man for the wedding was A.E. Betz, Jr. Ushers were Bernard D. Elliott, Robert Martin, Manson Backus II and John C. Bardsley, Jr. The couple was married November 24, 1940 at the Christ Episcopal Church in Tacoma. (T. Times 11/25/1940, pg. 7)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Burns, Marion Roseann; Wedding costume--1940-1950;

Doris Ristvet and Frank J. Malanca were married October 3, 1942 at Holy Rosary Church. They pose with their wedding party inside the church following the ceremony. Mrs. Bernard Bjorkman was matron of honor while Patricia Casper, Mrs. Ernest Manning and Genevieve Stemp served as bridesmaids for their friend. Bert Nigro was best man, and Bernard Bjorkman, Jr., Albert Malanca and Edward Stemp served as ushers.

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ristvet, Doris--Marriage; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Malanca, Frank J.; Wedding clothing & dress--1940-1950; Wedding attendants--Tacoma; Holy Rosary Church (Tacoma);

Doris Ristvet and Frank J. Malanca were married October 3, 1042 at Holy Rosary Church. The reception was held at the church parish hall. The couple is pictured departing from what is most probably that building, while the remainder of the wedding party poses at the top of the stairs.

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ristvet, Doris--Marriage; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Wedding clothing & dress--1940-1950;

Female wedding guests scramble for the bouquet tossed by new bride Jean McDonald Jepson. Jean McDonald and William Jepson were married on August 17, 1941 at the Little Church on the Prairie. The wedding was followed by a reception at the Steilacoom Lake home of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Weller, the bride's aunt and uncle, and the site of this free for all. The bride still appears to be attired in her modern wedding costume of ice green silk jersey dinner dress with elbow length gloves and matching turban. (T. Times 8/18/1941, pg.7)

Weddings--Lakewood--1940-1950; McDonald, Jean--Marriage; Brides--1940-1950;

Wedding of Miss Barbara Ball and Henry Hewitt, Jr., held May 24, 1941 at the Mount Baker Presbyterian Church, Seattle, followed by a reception at the Rainier Club. Four men in formal wear pictured at the wedding. The one only half seen on the right appears to be the father of the bride, R. Douglas Ball.

Weddings--Seattle--1940-1950;

Wedding of Miss Barbara Ball and Henry Hewitt, Jr., held May 24, 1941 at the Mount Baker Presbyterian Church, Seattle, followed by a reception at the Rainier Club. A woman believed to be Mrs. Henry Hewitt, second from right, sits with wedding guests..

Weddings--Seattle--1940-1950;

Wedding of Miss Barbara Ball and Henry Hewitt, Jr. The couple wed May 24, 1941 at the Mt. Baker Presbyterian Church in Seattle. The reception was held at the Rainier Club. The couple is photographed cutting their wedding cake. (T. Times 5/31/1941, pg. 5)

Weddings--Seattle--1940-1950; Ball, Barbara--Marriage; Hewitt, Henry; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Cakes;

The bride and groom pull away in their vehicle, pulling a string of tin cans and a "Just Married" sign. Georgann Leahey and Owen Thomas Gallagher were married at 10a.m. Tuesday August 12, 1941 at the Holy Cross Church, 10th & Verde. The wedding was followed by a reception at the family home, 3308 No. 33rd St. The couple will honeymoon in Canada and return to the new home that they are building on North Winifred St.

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Leahey, Georgann--Marriage;

Miss Mary Catherine McDonald has set September 2, 1946 as the date for her marriage to Edward Charles Davis. Mary Catherine is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William McDonald of Tacoma. Edward is the son of Harry Lee Davis of Chicago, Illinois. She stands on the stairway at Haddaway Hall with her train spread on the steps around her. Handsome woodwork adorns the stairway. Large windows behind her look out into tree tops.

Brides--1940-1950; Wedding costume--1940-1950; Veils; Haddaway Hall (Tacoma); McDonald, Mary Catherine--Marriage; Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Flavel ("Bizz") Beattie-Henrietta Foss wedding. Miss Henrietta Foss and her four attendants: Marion Osgood, Joan Barber, Bettye Wilbur, and Donna Smith, stand on the steps at the altar. The bridesmaids hold bouquets of mums and the bride's train is spread out down the steps. The bride's bouquet is made of white spider chrysanthemums and ivy leaves. The wedding took place at Christ Episcopal Church. (T.Times, 9/28/1946, p.7)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Wedding costume--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Foss, Henrietta--Marriage; Barber, Joan; Smith, Donna Jean; Wilbur, Bettye; Osgood, Marion; Foss, Henry O.--Family;

Gina Petrecca and Frank Brunette were married on November 20, 1948 at St. Rita's Catholic Church, Father Baffaro officiated the double-ring ceremony. Gina is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Petrecca, Frank is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruno Brunette of Yelm. Gina is wearing a white slipper satin gown with marquisette yoke, long sleeves, full skirt and a long train; her bouquet is made of white carnations and stephanotis centered around an orchid (T.N.T., 12/12/48, p. D-10).

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Wedding costume--1940-1950; Marriage--Tacoma; Petrecca, Gina--Marriage; Brunette, Frank; Petrecca--Family; Brunette--Family; St. Rita's Catholic Church (Tacoma);

Several men enjoy a toast at the wedding of Dorothy Ann Simpson. Miss Simpson's engagement was announced in the Tacoma Times May 10, 1947. She was the daughter of J.P. and Hazel M. Simpson. She and Mr. John J. Wilson Jr., of Boston, Massachusetts, were married at St. Patrick's Church on June 28, 1947. The reception was held at the home of the bride. (T.Times, 5/10/1947, p.10; 6/28/1947, p.9; 7/5/1947, p.9)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Receptions--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Mickelina Retha Spadafore and Bertram Edward Corkill were married at the First Methodist Church (located on 423 South K Street) in evening ceremonies on July 31, 1948. Reverend M. A. Marcy officiated. The bride is the daughter of Josephine Jaconetty of Dutton, Montana and the groom is the son of Ida Corkill of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is wearing a beautiful gown of white satin with marquisette yoke, pointed long sleeves and a lace enhanced veil. The pearls around her neck were a gift from her bridegroom. Her bouquet was composed of orchids, gardenias and stephanotis. Mr. and Mrs. Corkill are pictured above in the act of cutting the three-tier wedding cake at the 100-guest reception held at Normanna Hall. Mickelina is a graduate of Lincoln High School and Bertram graduated from Vancouver Tech in British Columbia and attended the University of British Columbia. They will be at home on Rochester St. in Tacoma. (TNT 8-24-1948, p. 6-alt. photo)

Wedding costume--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Cakes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spadafore, Mickelina Retha--Marriage; Corkill, Bertram Edward; First Methodist Church (Tacoma);

One of the largest weddings photographed by the Richards studio was the marriage of Virginia Lee (Wendy) Wagner to George Hunt Weyerhaeuser (eight and nine from left) in the summer of 1948. The wedding took place in the gardens of "Lakewold", the Wagner estate. With a wedding party and guest list of Washington's most prominent, Associated Press covered the event. The noteworthy marriage received front page coverage in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger/News Tribune and an entire page in the society section which featured Richards photographs of the event. (TNT, 7/11/1948, p. 1, D-1).

Weddings--Lakewood--1940-1950; Weyerhaeuser, George H.; Wagner, Virginia Lee--Marriage; Wedding costume--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Lakewold (Lakewood); Group portraits;

One of the largest weddings photographed by the Richards studio was the marriage of Virginia Lee (Wendy) Wagner to George Hunt Weyerhaeuser; the wedding took place in the gardens of "Lakewold", the Wagner estate. View of man with two little girls, possibly the flower girls for the upcoming weekend wedding, they are sitting in a heart shaped swing which reads "To Our Valentines" (TNT, 7/11/1948, p. 1, D-1).

Weddings--Lakewood--1940-1950; Weyerhaeuser, George H.; Wagner, Virginia Lee; Children swinging--Lakewood; Lakewold (Lakewood); Group portraits;

Mary Lee Odlin and William Philip were married on August 20, 1948 at Immanuel Presbyterian Church with their wedding reception held at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club. Left to right are the bride's parents, Reno and Edith M. Odlin, and the groom's parents, Warren F. and Lillian Philip (T.N.T., 8/29/48, p. D-1).

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Marriage--Tacoma; Families--Tacoma--1940-1950; Odlin, Reno--Family; Philip, Warren F.--Family; Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma);

Wedding at No. 9th St. and Oxford Church made from an old barn, Times, Paul Lantz. The bride, Myrna McCallister, is wearing a suit and corsage of orchids, and the groom, Paul Case Smith, is wearing his Army uniform. They cut the first piece of their wedding cake. The cake is decorated with a stylish wedding couple figurine. A lace tablecloth and crystal candle sticks decorate the table. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were the first bride and groom married at the new church converted from a barn, the Skyline Boulevard Christian Church. They exchanged vows before 30 guests on August 13, 1947. (T.Times, 8/16/1947, p.4)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Cakes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spouses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Figurines; McCallister, Myrna; Smith, Paul Case;

Jack Langley. The bride and groom with the bridesmaid and best man. Flowers and candles are arranged behind the wedding party. This is believed to be the wedding of Jayne Gedelman and Bill V. Williams who were wed in September of 1947 at the bride's home. She is the daughter of W.L. Gedelman of Port Angeles. The couple would make their first home in Tacoma. (TNT 10-7-1947, p. 9-alt. photo of bride)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Grooms (Weddings)--1940-1950; Wedding costume--1940-1950; Veils; Bouquets; Flowers--Tacoma;