My Grandparents' 1931 Wedding ~ 52 Ancestors #40

I am participating in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Each week has an optional writing prompt and this week's writing prompt is Ten.

I have published 446 blog posts since April 2011 and I decided to go back to see what my tenth blog post was.

It turns out that this was one of my favorites, so I am repeating it here, slightly edited:

A Small 1931 Family Wedding

My mother's parents were married on September 5, 1931, in Princeton, New Jersey. I have a few items from this wedding. The announcement:

Helen and Toby (Lowell's nickname) had originally planned to marry in October 1931, but my grandfather's mother was ill and not expected to live long, so they moved the wedding back to September 5. The groom's mother, my great-grandmother Ethel May (Greeley) Copeland, died on October 3, 1931, in Princeton.

I have a small book from the wedding, titled "The Order for the Solemnization of Marriage from the Book of Common Worship" published by the Presbyterian Board of Publication in 1927 (Philadelphia) which includes the wedding ceremony and a marriage certification in the middle. At the end of this book are a few pages where guests signed their names. Scanned copies of these pages are below:

Lowell Copeland (groom's father)
Percy E. Hunter (bride's father)
Marguerite L. Hunter (bride's mother)
Ruth L. Wells (groom's mother's aunt)
Helen H. Follansbee (bride's father's sister)
Lois H. Follansbee (bride's cousin and Mary's twin)
Mary F. Follansbee (bride's cousin and Lois' twin)
Mary L. Hunter (bride's sister)
Caroline H. Oliver (bride's sister)
William R. Oliver (bride's brother-in-law)
Ruth L. Copeland (groom's sister)
Lawrence Whitcomb (groom's sister's husband-to-be)
Ruth L. Greeley (groom's mother's sister)
Rose Dunbar Gay (groom's cousin, daughter of his father's sister)
William H. Dunbar Jr. (groom's cousin, son of his father's sister)
Margaret L. Hunter (bride's sister)

William U. Follansbee III (bride's cousin)
Paul MacClintock (groom's brother-in-law)
Elizabeth S. MacClintock (groom's sister)
Lucia Lander MacClintock (groom's niece)
Copeland MacClintock (groom's nephew, less than 1 year old)
Ethel M. Copeland (groom's mother)

As you can see, I have identified all of these guests. They are all related in some way to either the bride or groom.

The wedding took place at the home of the groom's parents. I believe that the Copelands were living in Princeton because their eldest daughter, Elizabeth (Betty), was married to a geology professor at Princeton University, Paul MacClintock. Their other daughter, Ruth, later married a geology professor at Lehigh University, Lawrence Whitcomb. They were both in attendance at this wedding.

Following is a photograph of the guests. Note that Ethel Copeland, the groom's ill mother, and Copeland MacClintock, an infant, are not pictured.

I believe I have successfully identified everyone in this photograph based on the guest list above, and what I know about the family. It's been a fun puzzle (for a genealogist)! I am not completely confident in my identification of those with [?] after their names.

l. to r. William R. Oliver, Lawrence Whitcomb, Caroline H. Oliver, Mary L. Hunter, Lowell Townsend Copeland (groom), Mary Follansbee [?], William H. Dunbar, Jr.[?], Helen Lysle Hunter (bride), Helen Follansbee [?], Percy E. Hunter, Ruth Copeland, Marguerite L. Hunter, Rose Dunbar Gay [?], Margaret L. Hunter, Lois Follansbee, Ruth Greeley, Ruth Wells, William U. Follansbee III [?], Paul MacClintock; l. to r. in front: Lucia MacClintock, Lowell Copeland, Elizabeth MacClintock

The bride's family:

l. to r. Caroline H. Oliver, William R. Oliver, Helen L. Hunter (bride), Percy E. Hunter, Marguerite L. Hunter, Margaret L. Hunter, Lowell Townsend Copeland (groom), Mary L Hunter

The happy couple:

Helen Lysle Hunter and Lowell Townsend Copeland