I first began wondering what a Lilliputian wedding was, when Paul Curran gave us some envelopes of negatives from the Milford News. One said "Lilliputian wedding, 1949." The pictures were of a wedding on the Community House steps. About a week later, I came across a guest book for the wedding in a file cabinet at the library. Below is what I found in it.
Hopedale Woman's Club Entertains With Lilliputian Wedding
The bridal group of the Lilliputian wedding sponsored by Hopedale Woman's Club in the Community House in which nearly 50 youngsters, representing personages in Hopedale, took part. Helene Draper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Bristow Draper, Jr., was bride, and the groom was portrayed by Robert LaFountain, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert LaFountain. Picture caption, Milford Daily News
From a guest book, dated February 13, 1940:
Wedding party: Bride - Helene Draper
Groom - Robert LaFountain
Best Man - Daniel Steincipher
Maid of Honor - Priscilla West
Flower Girl - Lynda Kate Sadler
Ring Bearer - Gerald Hazard
Bridesmaids - Barbara Clark, Janet Moon, Rosalind Thayer, Ellen Brown, Cynthia Clark, Frances Ammen
Signatures in the guest book:
Sylvia Stare Gladys D. Grant
Doris Bell Grace M. Steincipher
Isobel Callahan Helen MacLeod
Helene Creamer Helen E. Peavey
Betty Mathewson Robert Bruce Smethurst
Robert LaFountain Cynthia L. Clark
Frances Webster Dorothy Young
Rosamond Thayer William T. Coy
Joan Thatcher James Peavey
Priscilla Sadler Frances Ammen
Danny Steincipher Janet Lapworth
Beverly Markham Garfield Moon
Donald Webster Edith Barrows
Robert Noyes Jane Bridgham
Harland Scribner Nancy Gibson
Richard Draper Susan Dewar
Colton Bridges Barbara
Harriet Thayer Claude Snider
Mary Louise Stare Gladys Grant
Jean Newhall Dorothy Murray
Olive Day Bramhall Priscilla Scribner
Gladys Sanborn Jeanette Andrews
Shirley Webster Nancy Calhoun
Barbara Bell Judith Ripley
Jane Newell Elinor FitzGerald
Carolyn Henderson Virginia Steeves
oanne Kearsley Beverly Sparhawk
Yuonne Scanlon Pauline Shanahan
Richard Callahan Mrs. Eugene S. Newhall
Shirley Mathewson Hilda Chegwidden
Shortly sending out the story above by email, I received the following:
Dan, Okay, I confess. I was illegally married to my cousin, Cynthia, as a child. The wedding was endorsed by my parents. The entire expense was borne by the "Hopedale Woman's Club." I think my mother might have been club president at the time. I remember being dressed in a tuxedo and carrying a cigar (that my dad made by wrapping masking tape around a pencil, and painting it brown). The question I can't answer is, "Why?" I dunno' if it was a fundraising venture, or was done just for fun. My memory ain't that good!!!
Cheers,
Phil
A few days later, I heard from Phil again. He had looked through old family photos and found one of the "wedding." Here's a bit of what he had to say about it. "I'm wearing a bowtie that's bigger than my head, a tuxedo with striped lapels, and I'm carrying a top-hat. I look like a circus barker. The picture's dated March 12, 1949--it was taken by James S. Peavey!" See the picture.
Now it appears that there were at least three of these weddings. It turned out that the guest book contains not only names and pictures from one in 1940, but also names of one held in 1949.) They were put on by the Community House Women's Club. The names for the 1949 wedding party are:
Bride - Patricia Perry
Groom - Billy Ohlson
Bride's father - William H. Thayer
Soloist - Donald Seastrom
Bridesmaids - Sally Lawrence, Lorna Smethurst, Patty Draper, Judy Nelson, Glenis Bishop, and Joanne Lemon
Ushers - Russell Goff, Tommy Draper, David Miles, Robert Iacovelli, Albert Carl Gray and Roger Robbins
Newspaper article and photo of the 1949 wedding Wedding photos HOME