FREAK WEDDINGS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 May 1933, Page 3

FREAK WEDDINGS

MOVE TO ABOLISH. Are freak weddings about to become a phenomena of the past? During the past few months various brides and grooms (who wanted to be a little different) have been wed while flying through the air or under water in submarine diving suits. Others have chosen to say “I do” while riding on aquaplanes, handcuffed’ together, on roller skates, and even in bathing suits, says the “San Francisco Chronicle.”

Very recently a, couple in Madrid, Spain, caught the lever and decided to be made one while riding in an aeroplane. The churchman they chose objected to reading the marriage service while being whirled through space at 150 miles an hour. However, he was prevailed upon finally to perform the ceremony on the ground while high above him the joy-riding husband and’ jvife-to-be looped the loop and did tail-spins. As the clergyman was finishing the service the marriage-plane coasted to the ground and just as the ecclesiastic was saying the Spanish equivalent of “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the happy pair jumped out of the aeroplane and ksised each other. The curious crowd that was present cheered and showered the principals with rice. Then the happy newlyweds hopped off again on their honeymoon. But when the Bishop of Madrid heard of the happenings he put his foot down, and declared the marriage invalid.

Protests proved vain. The good bishop held that he would not sanction a wedding unless it was celebrated in a church. Somewhat crestfallen, the modern-minded pair bowed to his will and were united all over again in a house of worship. And now American . faddists are wondering whether church authorities in the United States and elsewhere will follow the Madrid ecclesiastic’s lead and' demand that hereafter all couples be wed in the old-fashioned manner.

It is only in recent years that people who wanted to be married took to riding the air waves during the ceremonies. But other frivolous-minded girls and boys decided that it would be even more fun if they started to. settle down to the matrimonial routine in far dizzier ways. The older folks were shocked, of course. But the highspirited grooms and brides told them that this was the twentieth century and that moderns believe in starting off their matrimonial careers in some unusual fashion.

There were; for example; Al Drumbaugh and Elizabeth Tappe, of New York City. When Drumbaugh popped the question, pretty Elizabeth said, “0.K., but let’s not be prosaic about it.” And they weren’t. But before they decided against what background Al should slip the ring on Elizabeth’s finger, they thought and thought. Then they didn’t tell many people what they had decided —they merely invited all their friends and relatives to their favourite bathing resort for a party. Everybody donned bathing suits, of course, and went to the nearby swimming pdoi. They were certainly surprised to see a. minister, surrounded by palms, standing on a raft in the centre of the pool. When they turned around to ask Elizabeth what the idea was they were amazhd to find sh e . had slipped on a bridal veil over her bathing suit and was carrying a bouquet of flowers. A procession formed and moved slowly around the pool to the strains of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” Then everybody—bride, groom, best man, bridesmaids, and parents—waded out to the raft where the clergyman read the marriage service. . It was a fortunate thing that Al did not drop the wedding ring. If he had, the whole bridal party would have had to go diving for it. But everything went off smoothly, and the young married couple started their life together with a nice long swim around the pool. However, when news of the unique wedding reached Los Angeles, Miss Katherine Wilson and Mr John F. Gutrick decided to go the New York pair one better. They made up their minds to be wed in a swimming pool under water. “Now, that’s an ambition!” exclaimed cynics when they heard of the plan. But on the wedding day Miss Wilson and Gutrick appeared at a hotel swimming pool in Los Angeles with the Rev. Sheldon Sheppard in tow. The reverend gentleman was dressed in the usual black broadcloth and carried the small book from which he was to read the service. The bride had on a dainty frock and the groom was elegantly garbed'in cutaway coat, grey trousers, and spats 1 . Each of the three put on a diving helmet. These were connected by tubes to air pumps, manned by husky young men.

IN DEEP WATER. When the trio had their headgear adjusted! they all descended into the pool. The large crowd on hand watched them go deeper and deeper into the water and disappear. The clergyman was supposed to read the service into a loud speaker so that all the audience could hear it. Miss Wilson and Gutrick each had a microphone in their helmets, so that when their trun to say “I do!” came, all present would clearly hear the words.

However, something apparently went wrong with the apparatus. Instead of the dignified tones of a clergy-man-issuing from the loudspeaker, there came a garbled rush of words. As he proceeded, however, the diction improved until the end when he said. “I now pronounce you man and wife.’ Soon afterwards the helmets of the couple and the celrgyman reappeared above the surface of the water. All of the principals, of course, were dripping from head to foot. But, nothing daunted', the young couple kissed while still in the water, the news cameras clicked, and everybody was happy. Just about this time Miss Marjorie Klinger and Mr Donald Babcock were married in an aeroplane Hying over Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York. But this up-to-date pair gave the aviation wedding ceremony a new wrinkle. The moment that Justice ol the Peace Flanagan, of Mineola, told them they were embarked on the holy sea of matrimony Marjorie and Donald leapt out of the aeroplane. And they were immediately followed by the best man. Each of them had a parachute and they glided .safely to the ground. It is said that the Justice could have taken the parachute jump if he had pleased, but, with a grave smile, he declined the privilege. Meanwhile the freak wedding craze had spread to Europe. In Paris, M. Robert Devers perched his bride, Mlle. Claire Deglia, on the handlebars of his bicycle, and that was the way they

went to church. Following them, also, on bicycles, was the entire wedding party, including the minister. The event was a vast success if the public curiosity it aroused on the boulevards is any criterion. Mr and Mrs Howard Fowlie were married at Harmony, Maine, some time ago. They came down to Boston and after seeing the sights, they sailed for Bangor, Maine. And no one can doubt that these newlywed’s attracted more attention than any other couple on board. For they were handcuffed to each other and announced intentions of staying that way for a whole week. Mr and Mrs Herman Lowe, of Newark, New Jersey, were wed while actually handcuffed to each other. But just before the ceremony some friend told Herman that his chums, were planning to “kidnap” his bride. Herman did not intend to let them do that and', to prevent it, handcuffed himself to the girl. Another novelty in nuptial rites was initiated in Little Rock, Ark., when a City League baseball game was interrupted in the middle of an innings so that Marvin Davis, a second baseman, could be tied in the bonds of holy matrimony to attractive Miss Rose May Reynolds. The minister and the wedding party strode to the keystostb sack and' there Marvin and Rose Mae were wed.