"I do" or "Anyone for ruts?"
Coleorton Heritage Group and St Mary’s Church are holding a 2-day event in the church on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th September 2026 with the theme of “Weddings and Family” (see more >>) and this set me thinking about my own wedding day in 1962, which was a fiasco from start to finish!
The date was set for 17th March, St Patrick’s Day, due to my intended being Irish. Mom made sure that The Dress was picked well in advance, with all the accessories. This caused Mom great excitement, she had been trying for years to make her Tomboy into a Lady. We thought all was in order until Mom asked Father “Was he wearing a suit?”. Now he was a sports jacket and flannel man with suede shoes. So this started UPSET No 1 with Mom dragging him into Derby to the CoOp Hire service saying “You’re not walking your daughter down the aisle in a sports outfit!” He returned home with a three-piece suit and leather shoes, which he continued to moan about “being crippled”.
Now we lived in a Derbyshire cottage with an appalling road to it. So UPSET No 2 – the council informed us they would be tarmacing the road, right up to the front door, TWO DAYS before the wedding! “Three years we’ve waited for this”, said Mom “and they choose Now!”. The tarmac-ers left informing us that the tar was still soft.
But UPSET No 3 gave Mom apoplexy, going into the kitchen to find my father standing in a bowl of water – in his CoOp shoes and all the dye seeping out. “I told you they hurt me.” I won’t repeat what Mom said! Of course I was left to re-dye them.
On The Day the small bridesmaids were delivered by car, leaving us two sets of ruts. A neighbour, on seeing my winkle-picker-style stiletto shoes put a board down from the door to the car point. I was having my veil sewn into my bouffant hair, Mom was in panic mode, half-dressed with a feather hat on. The only one ready was my Father asking Mom how did he look. I think if she had a frying pan she would have shown him!. We could only afford one car, so Mom and the bridesmaids went first, leaving more ruts. On his return my Father and I stood on the board with him holding this long veil behind me in a bunch. We set off again – leaving more ruts.
UPSET No 4, which I was told by my Mom later – was the organist had mistaken the signal. So Mom entered the church to a loud rendition of The Wedding March, and everyone turning to look. My Father on walking me down the aisle at speed was told to slow down. I was convinced he had swapped his CoOp shoes for roller skates.
UPSET No 5 – during the service the priest sprinkles holy water over you with the blessing; my husband received his on his chest and mine went straight in my face. Not wearing water-proof mascara I looked like something out of a “Hammer horror”. While signing the register I had to make some repairs ready for the photos.
UPSET No 6 – was at 12.30 at night seeing my well-oiled Father dragged into the house singing his head off and with his CoOp shoes all scuffed. “I’m not taking them back!” said Mom.
The next morning over feeding the 5000, Mom said to me “Have you seen that road?”. I looked out the window, it looked like a chess board. The following day we left in a taxi for our honeymoon, waving out the back window and leaving - YES -another set of ruts!
Marian Walsh
Coleorton Heritage Group
September 2026
About the Church Open Days 2026 with theme "Weddings and Family"