Weddings

January, 1991

1914: Grace Ricciardi and Michael Martini  were married  September 5th  at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in  Los Angeles,  CA.

1921: My mother Ruth Dunphy and my father Waldomar Krueger  DDS  were married February 8th by Fr. McGlynn at St. Rose  Catholic Church in St. Louis, Missouri. In the 1920’s the Catholic Church did not allow a Catholic (my  mother) and a non-Catholic (my Dad) to have a  marriage  service  in the Church. Instead, it took place in the church rectory. Afterwards there was a reception at her sister Adelaide Stephenson’s home.

1949: Elaine Krueger and Michael Martini were married June 11th at 10:00 AM at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Richmond Heights (St. Louis County) by Fr. Ryan. The pastor, Msgr. McMahon happily announced that he had received from the Vatican a Papal  Blessing for the newly married couple. We followed the morning service with breakfast at Medarts Restaurant for the wedding party and close friends and relatives. At 3 PM, in the pouring  rain, a home reception was held.

1970: Kathy, our eldest daughter was 20  years  old when she decided to marry Tom  Merlo.  I was in bed  recovering  from  surgery,  so  I  just  planned  that  wedding by telephone with much help from my husband  and  Kathy.  I  called friends whose daughters had recently married for the names of cake-bakers, florists, photographers, invitations etc. Kathy, a superb seamstress,  decided  to  design  and  sew  her wedding  gown. She went to  Japan-town in Los Angeles to  select the exact brocade she  wanted. My neighbors Bonnie Landry and Janet Serra offered to make the bridesmaids dresses since I was recuperating still. The nuptial mass was at Corpus Christi Church, followed by  a luncheon at the American Legion Hall.  Kathy  didn’t  want  anything large or elaborate, but allowed us to have a party of about 70  people. We had a live band. Kathy’s ideas as usual were quite different from mine. She wore no veil but  a coronet of spring flowers. She insisted on flowers, not figurines atop the wedding cake.

 

1975: Barbara waited to marry until she  graduated from  Santa Clara University and  had  worked for one year.  She wanted the  traditional wedding  that  all mothers dream  about.   The dresses were ordered from the bridal shop at Bullocks Wilshire. We  invited  about 250 people to the  wedding  ceremony  at  Corpus  Christi  Catholic  Church  followed by  luncheon  at  the  Riviera  Country  Club.  It was  beautiful  and fun fun fun. Warning: don’t think people living in N.Y. or Mexico can be sent invitations just as a courtesy. These college friends planned business trips, vacations, etc. around the date of the wedding and CAME!

 

1975:  Eileen was dating Tom Gonzales. Tom’s twin brother Ed had just gotten married and Eileen was so involved at age 21 with the thrill of her sister’s wedding.  Suddenly these immature children decided to announce their engagement and set a date for Aug 2. We tried very hard to talk them out of the marriage until they finished Loyola Marymount University. No Luck.

Knowing they would need some financial help ahead, it was decided to keep the wedding attendance small.   Only a select few of Eileen and Tom’s relatives were invited. Eileen wore her sister’s dress. (They had similar taste in clothes; often borrowing each other’s.  Her two bridesmaids (friends from Marymount H.S) were able to buy their gowns off the rack at the Newport Fashion Center. Eileen got permission for her good friend, a nun with the Sisters of Social Service, to be her maid of honor. The nuptial mass at Corpus Christi was followed by a catered garden reception of about 100 people. One week prior to the wedding I was hospitalized with another severe attack of pancreatitis. My doctor refused to let me leave until the Friday before the wedding date!  He said if everything isn’t planned by now it’s too late. And he was right.

 

1983: Finally our son, Jim, was married to Michele Lacasse. It’s really great to be the parents of the groom. I had the rehearsal dinner at our home and everyone really had a great and happy time in this casual setting. The wedding mass was held at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Van Nuys and the Community Group they belonged to catered the affair at the nearby Van Nuys Women’s Clubhouse.

 

Meanwhile, Kathy and Eileen had become single parents.

 

1988: On Friday the 8th of July, Eileen married Tim McCranie in a Friday evening ceremony at St. Monica’s Catholic Church. We had a catered garden party  with recorded music. It was a happy evening.

1989: On March 12, Kathy and Ron Bruner were married in Chino, CA. Their two children attended the ceremony.

 

August 1992

1992: The wedding of Joe and Jennie, August 2nd.

On Friday July 31, Mike and I boarded the super shuttle and flew to Oakland Airport where Joe met us. We had arranged for everyone in our family to stay at the Berkeley Marina Hotel on Sat. Aug. 1st.  This was one way to be sure we’d have easy room to room communication and also be on time for Saturday and Sunday’s events. Prior to the Saturday rehearsal dinner, about 20 guests gathered in our hotel room to participate in the 5 PM Mass offered by son,  Fr. Dick.  As we prayed we looked out at the beauty of ocean with the Bay Bridge and San Francisco in the background.

Next, off to the rehearsal dinner.  The restaurant was selected by Joe and Jennie. It’s name was Stats on Shaddick Street. It was a funky Univ. of Cal.  area restaurant and to the delight  of the young children we ate in the Jungle Room! The food was very good, the Korean owners most delighted to have us and our dessert was birthday cake for Nicole and me. After dinner four giggly little girls had 3 year old Christopher in tears because they said they had a girls only club at a table in the far corner! Barbara, Chris’s mother, went over and convinced them that it was a Grandpa Martini Club table. You had to be a grandchild of his to join. Hooray! Chris was happy and a member. After dinner Mike asked the relatives and guests to tell some tales about Joe or Jennie .  It really turned out to be a fun roast!  We should have taped it.

Since the wedding invitation ended with the words “dress comfortably,” on the day of the wedding everyone was calling from room to room, “What are you wearing?  Should the fellows wear a tie?” Souvenir Chinese fans were spread open in colorful array upon the outdoor chairs, both a pretty and practical idea. The groom had two best men: Jim Raible, his former roommate from Santa Clara University (now living in Oregon) and Jack Serra (presently working in Tokyo.)  Jack and Joe have been friends and next door neighbors since birth. Jennie had her sister, Lynn, and her brother Peter as her witnesses.

A three piece ensemble of flute, violin and cello played as the guests arrived and provided background music for the walk up the aisle of the four young cousins who were flower girls and ring bearer.   Last came the bride  on the arm of her father. As the bride joined the groom, cameras clicked to match the couple’s very happy smiles. Eleven year old T.J. , Joe’s nephew, read from teacher Joe’s favorite Dr. Seuss story  Oh, the Places We’ll Go! and Joe’s oldest brother Dick read from the bible that favorite passage about “Love is patient, Love is kind…”  A friend of the couple read a beautiful poem about love written by her husband. Before the minister, the bride and groom spoke their personal vows to each other and then came the”I Do’s ”

The guests enjoyed champagne and hors d’oeuvres while  wedding pictures were taken. Jack  Serra made a truly wonderful toast to the newly- wed couple. The wedding party started the luncheon buffet which was truly different and delicious, e.g. the wedding cake was a three layered, three flavored mousse.  Next an authentic reggae band with just the right level of sound played. It was time to enjoy the bride and groom dancing, then we all joined in. While the newlyweds changed clothes and prepared to leave, friends at the get away car (Jennie’s classic Citroen) were tying old shoes and aluminum cans onto it. A watching stranger said, “Just wait until you get down to the first red light..those bums there will cut off the cans to add to their beer collection.”

The piece-de-resistance was a wire connecting the horn to the brake pedal! Joe said they drove down the hill for about a block and then stopped and disconnected it. The guests and family drifted away happy to have been a part of this fun day.