W is for Weddings - Family History Through the Alphabet

W is for weddings (not to be confused with marriages).

My ancestors knew the definition of marriage as
a : the state of being married
b : the mutual relationship of husband and wife : wedlock
c : the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family

On the other hand, they referred to a wedding as the marriage ceremony and the festivities associated with that ceremony.

In all of my family history research I've found many marriage records.  But I have information on only two weddings:  my parents' and the wedding of my maternal grandfather's brother and his bride.

Jacob Meinzen and Nellie E. Leonhart were married on June 28, 1906.  The wedding was described in The Steubenville Weekly Gazette.  It was "a pretty home wedding" at the residence of the bride on 808 Sherman Avenue, Steubenville.  

The cosy home was fitted up for the happy event, and presented an attractive appearance.  Promptly at 4 o'clock the bridal couple entered the parlor to the strains of the wedding march, accompanied by Miss Mina Meinsen, sister of the groom, and Mr. Phil Leonhart, brother of the bride, and took their places before the officiating clergyman, Rev. Rowland, pastor of the Third Presbyterian church, who officiated in a beautiful service.  The bride was becomingly gowned in white Persian lawn, trimmed with lace, and her bridesmaid was also prettily gowned in white.  After the ceremony, congratulations were showered upon the happy pair, and at a later hour a nice wedding supper was served, covers being laid for twenty-five. 

The only additional information I could wish for is a photograph of the bride and groom and a list of the attendees.  I would like to see what her white Persian lawn gown trimmed with lace looked like.  Beautiful, I'm sure.

My parents were married on September 15, 1938.  Their wedding was described in The Niles Daily Times.

     At 7:30 last evening in the Methodist Church at Mineral Ridge, Miss Audrey Meinzen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meinzen, Mineral Ridge, was united in marriage to Lee Doyle, 360 Warren ave., Niles.
     Rev. Robert S. Clemmons heard the exchange of vows.
     Mr. and Mrs. Earl Tuxford of Niles were formal attendants and Howard Todd of Mineral Ridge and James W. Sullivan of Warren were ushers.
     Mrs. Phoebe Johnson, Mineral Ridge, presided at the organ for a program of nuptial melodies and Mrs. James Woodward, also of Mineral Ridge, was soloist, her numbers including "O Promise Me" and "I Love You Truly."  The Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin was used for the processional and Mendelssohn's wedding march for the recessional.
     The altar was banked with palms and ferns and decorated with standards of garden flowers.
     Given in marriage by her father, Miss Meinzen was a lovely bride in her blue velvet gown with harmonizing accessories.  She carried an arm bouquet of pink roses.
     Mrs. Tuxford chose dubonet with matching accessories and she carried garden flowers.
     Multi-colored garden flowers decorated the Meinzen home on Furnace st. when the immediate famlies and a few friends were received following the ceremony.  A tiered wedding cake with the conventional bride and groom decorated the refreshment table.
     Late in the evening the young couple left for a short honeymoon, their destination a secret.  For traveling, the bride wore a modish two piece ensemble with accessories to match....

I have no photographs of this wedding, either, but my mother saved a booklet in which guests signed their names.  (More on that later.)  I do so wish to have been able to see her dress and my father's suit.

This post was written as a contribution to the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge created by Alona Tester of Genealogy & History News.  Thanks, Alona.

--Nancy.
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