Fifty Years of Wedded Bliss….

Today is our Golden Wedding Anniversary. At noon on January 11th 1969, at St John’s Anglican Church Launceston, Alison Margaret Padman was joined in holy matrimony with Michael Rex Schwabe . Goodness we looked so young. I was 22 and Mike 1/3 his current age in years.

There’s a wonderful organ in that church, and we suggested to the organist Lindsay O’Neill that Bach’s fabulous Tocata and Fugue in DMinor would be stirring for people to enjoy, but he flatly refused, so we settled for the totally traditional Mendleson’s Wedding March and Henry Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary instead. Perhaps he knew what he was doing, really. He played superbly as ever.

Some jottings from the event:

• Four days before the big day my engagement ring flew off my cold hand as I stood up to leave the beach late afternoon. It took about 3 hours to find in the dry sand at the top of the beach, with the aid of several nearby campers who brought torches to help us find it in the gathering dark.
• Three days before the big day, I had my hairdresser do a practice run of how my hair was to be that day. She trimmed the back a little, prompting a major row between us on the way home from dinner with country friends. It prompted me to stop the car on the highway at Prospect, saying: “…and if you think I’m going to marry a man who complains any time I have my hair trimmed, you’ve got another thing coming.” I picked up my handbag and began walking. I got home safely with Mike patrolling by car all the way – he would never have stopped though, and I’d never have got back in that car! From about 2am when I got home, I tossed and turned for hours. Mum looked worried and commented at breakfast that if I didn’t get in a couple of early nights I’d look a total wreck on saturday. She had no idea I had already begun to mentally compose a note to go with all the returned wedding gifts! I decided to give it a little more time before dropping the cancel everything bombshell …. MIL Dawn could tell Mike was in a bit of a state, and counseled her son with some common sense late that morning, and we cleared the air with a good talk that afternoon. Years later I eventually told the parents how close it all had all come to being cancelled!
• The wine and champers flowed freely at the lovely buffet lunch reception at home.
• One of Michael’s aunts was seen disappearing into the hydrangeas with one of his professional colleagues, presumably to discuss Dad’s garden…
• A female guest our age climbed the oak tree which seemed a good idea after a few drinks, but lost her nerve and had to be rescued by her husband and a mate.
• The barman lost his shoes but they were located next day in the laundry of the house at #10, two doors along – this has never been explained!
• Mr Keetley the caterer excelled himself, and the croquembouche he produced for dessert was a real hit.
• MIL Dawn baked the traditional fruit wedding cake, and we kept the top layer for the first christening 3 years later. It was still good.
• My bouquet had flowers from Dawn’s garden and Dad’s.
• The real horseshoe shown in this pic was covered in satin ribbon, and slipped over my arm by Dawn as we walked back down the aisle as man and wife.

It was a memorable beginning to a marriage that so far has taken us 50 years forward. Lots of memories of highs and lows, sad and happy events, easy times and difficult times, and lots of interesting people and places. We thank everyone who is helping us celebrate today, even though perhaps half those who were witness are no longer with us, and many dear family and friends are scattered around the world. Life is a rich tapestry indeed !!!?