Week 12 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is Joined Together. My grandparents, Phil LaViolet and Connie Meloche, were joined together in marriage on July 2, 1949 in Montreal. If you would like to read about their courtship, you can do so here.
My grandfather was sentimental; he kept everything, so thanks to him, I know quite a bit about their wedding. They were married at the Ste-Cunegonde chapel by Reverend Gerald McGlynn, who was a good friend of my grandmother's. It was Reverend McGlynn’s first time performing a wedding ceremony. A newspaper clipping reports that the bride “will wear a pale blue nylon ankle-length dress, matching hat with a gray flowered veil, grey mitts, and will carry a colonial bouquet.” My mom recently showed me my grandmother's wedding dress. I had no idea she kept it all these years.
A reception at Preston Hall for 55 people followed the ceremony. Considering the size of the immediate Meloche family alone, the reception was a fairly small, but elegant affair. My grandfather’s immediate family (his parents and sister) travelled to Canada for the wedding. The receipt for the reception lists the per person cost as $1.15, with some additional fees such as the hall rental ($15), flowers ($6), glass service ($1.50), menus ($2.50), and the wedding cake ($16). It's fun to look at their wedding menu and see what they ate. I'm sure with the boisterous Meloche family, there was plenty of laughter and dancing. My grandparents' first dance as husband and wife was to the song, “There’s a Tree in the Meadow.”
After a brief honeymoon on Lake Champlain, the couple settled into their home in Westbrook, Maine. A second reception for the happy couple was hosted by the groom’s family at the American Legion so their Maine family and friends would have the opportunity to congratulate them and welcome Connie to their close-knit community.
In July of 1999, my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on a perfect, beautiful, sunny afternoon. Our family hosted a huge party with all of their family and friends. My grandmother's siblings came down from Canada, and some of their friends who were at the original reception in Maine were there as well. One of my aunts made a beautiful scrapbook for them. She asked each person to write a letter sharing their memories.
I got married a week after their anniversary party. I married a man very much like my grandfather and hoped I would be as lucky in love as my grandparents (I am!). As a special surprise, I planned an anniversary dance for them. I tracked down their song, "There's a Tree in the Meadow," and watched them sing it as they held each other close, swaying back and forth. It will always be one of my favorite wedding memories.
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