June 20, 1953

Audio of the Actual Wedding Ceremony

The CD was made to look just like the records did!

My parents had their wedding recorded and put on a record (actually it took 3 very large 78 rpm records to fit the 30 minute ceremony). 

If you click here you can listen to the ceremony.  Remember this was over 60 years ago so the quality isn't great but you can hear it!  It may take several moments to load.  By looking at the timing below you can fast forward to what you might like to hear.  Of course my favorite part is the Marriage Vows where I can hear my parents vow to love each other until "death us do part." Which is what they did!

Order of Events and Timing

Song, Through the Years                    00:00-2:23

Church Bells Ringing                            2:23-3:00

Processional (Here Comes The Bride)   3:00-6:22

Message (Rev. Carl Bauer)                  6:23-16:02

Song, Promise Me                             16:06-19:09

*Marriage Vows  (Rev. Marcus Zill)     19:12-23:01

Prayers (Rev. Marcus  Zill)                23:04-24:20

Song, Prayer Perfect                        24:21-26:15

Blessing (Rev. Marcus Zill)                26:20-26:32

Song, O Perfect Love                       26:32-29:25

Recessional                                     29:27-30:49

I wish I knew who the singer of the songs was but I don't.  The Rev. Marcus Zill was my father's brother, my Godfather and he also married Loren and me in 1981.

I want to share with you how we found this recording.  While Rosalie was living in the assisted living home in 2011 she wanted me to find this recording of her wedding.  It had been recorded on a 78 rpm record and she wanted to hear it.  She was sure she remembered where it was and what it looked liked.  I could not find it anywhere and was heartsick that I couldn't find it before she died. 

Several months after her death while cleaning out her house and getting ready for the estate sale we brought all their old records up stairs and marked them at a ridiculously low price.  While we were straightening them out I noticed a piece of pink paper sticking slightly up.  It was in album cover of Christmas Hymns and Carols.  The note was in my mom's handwriting, it read,

"This is Daddy's and my wedding but it doesn't fit on present record player.  Uncle Jack may have a record player in his garage that will play it." 

Sure enough inside were three large heavy disks labeled, "Kenneth Zill-Rosalie Nash Wedding." It was as if she planted it there so that I would find it someday.  I was so relieved to have found it!  I could have so easily sold it. 

We were able to have it transferred on to a CD so we can keep it forever and are able to listen to it!  How many people in 1953 recorded their wedding?  We didn't even have a video from our wedding in 1981!  And how many people can listen to their parents wedding from over 6o years ago? Not many I imagine!

I also want to thank my dear son-in-law, Jason Grieves, for finding a way for me to post a link of the recording so that I could share it here with you!

I found this in a scrapbook. Rosalie mom types out what she remembers of the day they were married!
It's for real!

Copyright © 2013 Mary Elizabeth Zill VandenBerghe

Alicia Hein Buff Cook 26.09.2016 04:18

Like the great ending to a good war movie!!

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Latest comments

04.10 | 19:01

Of course, thank you for asking! Would love to see what you write if you can share when you are done.

04.10 | 18:39

I'm writing a book on Christmas in Wartime. Would it be ok to use a couple of comments in your dad's letters related to Christmas in the book? Many thanks!

09.07 | 22:16

If your related to Celia Gearhart Nash 1913-1988. Please contact me. I have a self-published book of poems written by her titled the View From My Window

05.09 | 07:05

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