The Tom Thumb Wedding

I thought this would be appropriate for February...the month of love. A "Tom Thumb wedding program" refers to a wedding pageant in which all of the major wedding roles are played by small children, usually under ten years old. In a Tom Thumb wedding, there would be children assigned to portray the bride, groom, attendants, and sometimes the minister. Smaller children would sometimes play the flower girls and ring bearers. Everyone would be costumed.Staging Tom Thumb weddings was a big American fad during the 1920s, but they were also staged fairly regularly until the 1970s, often as fundraisers for schools or churches. The term "Tom Thumb wedding" comes from an actual wedding, the marriage of the famous little person General Tom Thumb (born Charles Stratton) to Lavinia Warren, another little person, in 1863. The wedding attracted considerable publicity and was a major event of the time. Tom Thumb was a celebrity promoted by the circus entrepreneur P.T. Barnum, who gave him a stage name inspired by the folk hero Tom Thumb and managed his career starting at an early age.

All my life I have been told about the Tom Thumb wedding in our family. My Aunt Helen was a participant. I was rummaging through some old photos and came across this picture. My aunt is the little girl the 2nd from the left. I was surprised at the elaborate costumes that the children wore. I can imagine all the moms making these little creations out of fancy laces, curtains, and maybe even old clothing. I know how little girls love to dress up in their Mom's clothes and play make believe. Can you imagine how excited some of these little ones were to be all dressed up... well, maybe not the boys so much. Look at their faces....some of them don't look too happy.

Balisha