Wedding atire, 1932

[J.J.]

  Certainly could have been their wedding photo... A simple wedding is a smart way to begin life together! She's proudly wearing her lovely long faux pearls and looks very comfortable in her stylish cloche hat. At his young age, the suit may even have been borrowed unless he needed to wear one for work. Lovely image of the couple, no matter what the occasion! Large weddings certainly don't make the marriage, do they?
   I remember a co-worker from 40 plus yrs ago, who bragged that from their huge wedding on the weekend they were gifted a home from the parents...and furniture and other homey comforts from friends & family (& on & on...)  They were separated 3 months later...

[Karen McDonald]

You are right - a big wedding is no guarantee of success! 

I do like the photo. 

[Treetotal]

There was a great depression in the 1930s so there wouldn't have been much money around. They could have borrowed or hired the outfits for the occasion.

Carol

[Karen McDonald]

There was a great depression in the 1930s so there wouldn't have been much money around. They could have borrowed or hired the outfits for the occasion.

Carol

Very true!

[Rena]

For all we know the couple might have destroyed their copy of the wedding photograph because it wasn't to their liking.  Having said that, I think this lovely Studio Photograph was what was fashionable in that area of the UK in that time frame.

I surfed and this is what came up:-

"Wedding photography in the UK in 1932 was characterized by formal, staged studio portraits, often capturing the high fashion and elegance of the era, frequently with a focus on, but not exclusive to, the affluent "Society" weddings. "

[BushInn1746]

Don't want to take over this thread, but - LM.  We met in early 1964 in lodgings, got thrown out one night by the others for having a newspaper fight, so went to the pub.  Continued during weekdays, then I got my sailing date as I was emigrating to NZ.  "Don't go to NZ, come to London with me and we'll get married."  So I did that and we'v been together ever since. 

Hi BumbleB

From what I can remember as a boy in the late 1960s about NZ, was Mum being offered New Zealand Lamb in the Butchers, when she wanted British Lamb and sawdust on the floor, etc.

So if one of my early recollections of NZ came true for you, you would have ended up on a sheep farm counting sheep and married to a sheep farmer 

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Regarding the photo, that could of been their Marriage Outfits, or a Going Away Outfit.

The Photographer at Weddings I went to was sometimes asked if he wished to join the Reception or return later.

I have been to a lot of Weddings as a young man and the couple appeared at the Reception to greet Guests and for the Meal, Cards read, then the Cake was cut and the Couple briefly disappeared and came back to the Reception about teatime wearing their Going Away Outfits, to say good bye, then we would move chairs and tables to the side and some of us danced away the evening until within an hour of closing time or up to Music Licence time.

Some of the Evenings our local pop band would play, 3 guitarists, drummer etc.

Mark

[J.J.]

   Yeah, we can only speculate, really.  Wondering, Karen...Was this photo professionally mounted & backed??  If not, I'm wondering if perhaps they might have had a friend with, or even owned their own camera! They were pretty cheap in those days!  I'm no photo expert, but my Mum was an avid photograper and she had a super old brownie from that era & an even older pocket camera as well (with the wee bellows that flipped out) A great deal of our early family photos were taken on those!!!
   Also, Karen...wondering...What is the size of the actual image, as I see it is very long on the landscape end compared to the usual formats? Hard to get a good idea with the distortions & cut off corners.
   *Modifying & adding to the above, as it just occurred to me:
 Of course one mustn't rule out that the registrar may also been the photographer (with a 116 roll film.

[Karen McDonald]

@J.J.

I'll have to ask my brother. He has the photo. 

[Karen McDonald]

Hi everybody,

Now that I can finally get back into RC, I'll fill you in on some details. 

The photo is 12.5 x 8 cm and is in postcard format. The name of the photography studio is clearly visible on the back.

Most importantly, there is a date on the back - one year before Nan & Grandad were married. So I think we can assume that this was probably their engagement photo.

All the best,
Karen