In 1947 America was in the midst of an ongoing wedding boom, owing to soldiers returning from World War II. LIFE decided to pay tribute to “this burgeoning romanticism” by dispatching staff photographer NIna Leen to document a particularly lavish wedding, with a focus on all the preparations leading up to it, for a nine-page story headlined “June Wedding: Kansas City Girl Marries With All the Fixings.”
The bride was Barbara Winn, the 23-year-old daughter of a “well-to-do contractor,” as LIFE put it. The groom was Thomas Ferrell Bailey, 23, a former Air Force cadet and student at the University of Kansas. The couple met at a New Year’s Eve party back in 1945 and started on the road to their wedding to remember. The total number of guests at their wedding: 750.
Why so many people?
When Barbara and Tom announced their engagement, they decided they wanted a big wedding to entertain all their friends. Barbara’s mother particularly liked the idea because she had eloped herself and missed the excitement of a big church ceremony. And since Barbara was his only daughter, her father was anxious to make the wedding a resounding success.
LIFE described the planning of the wedding as “a full-time job,” and Leen documented all that went into it. That included the dress shopping, the cake selection, the addressing of the invitations, and more. Leen was there when the groom bought white gloves for his ushers, and she was there when the bride went for her Wasserman test, which checked for venereal diseases and was a prerequisite to obtaining a marriage license in Missouri and many other states back in the day.
Leen also documented the pre-wedding parties—of which there were many. “In the last three weeks before the wedding Barbara was entertained at two showers and nine luncheons given by her bridesmaids and mother’s friends. In addition she and Tom where honored at three dinner parties,” LIFE reported.
When the big day arrived, Leen made sure to capture every element of the bride’s outfit that corresponded to the classic wedding rhyme: something old (for Winn, a lacy doily on the sleeve), something new (the dress itself), something borrowed (a petticoat), something blue (a garter) and a sixpence in her shoe (yes, the bride had an actual coin in there).
The ceremony and reception were marathon affairs. “The newlyweds stood in a receiving line for two and a half hours, while guests consumed 30 cases of Cooks Imperial dry champagne and were finally reduced to drinking Rhine wine,” LIFE wrote.
The couple had planned a two-week honeymoon in Colorado Springs, after which they would move to Oklahoma City, where Tom was going to work for an oil company. Leen’s photos included one of the garbage that had been created from all the discarded wrapping for the many wedding gifts, with a caption that noted, “Special trucks were obtained to haul it all away.”
Tom Ferrell Bailey and Barbara Winn consulted with their church minister before formally announcing their engagement three months before the wedding, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The Winn family addressed 525 envelopes for the wedding; all guests were invited to both the ceremony and the reception, 1947.
Bride Barbara Alvin writing wedding invitations to her wedding.
Women wrote invitation cards to the wedding of Barbara Winn and Tom Ferrell Bailey in Kansas City, Missouri, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Tom Ferrell Bailey purchased white gloves ($6 a pair) for the eight ushers at his wedding, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Bride Barbara Winn and her mother shopped for a wedding cake; she eventually went with a five-layered cake from a specialty caterer which cost $100, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Barbara Winn and her mother made selections for their $1,500 florist order for Barbara’s wedding, Kansas City, 1947.
Barbara Alvin and her mother buying the flowers for her June wedding.
Bride Barbara Winn tried on her bridal petticoat that was to be worn under her ivory slipper-satin wedding dress. For the dress, the bride and her mother selected a sample at Herzfeld department store and had the dress made for about $200, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Before her wedding Barbara Alvin took the Wasserman test, which was at the time a requirement in the state of Missouri and ensured she did not have any venereal disease, 1947.
Barbara Winn and Ferrell Bailey swore that they were telling the truth as they went for their marriage license, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
At the “kitchen shower” the friends of Barbara Winn gave her unglamorous but necessary gifts such as mouse traps and a mop, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
A family friend with a home on Lake Lotawana outside Kansas City hosted a pre-wedding party for Barbara Winn and Tom Ferrell Bailey, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Barbara Alvin and Tom Ferrell Bailey enjoyed a barbecue supper given by Barbara’s bridesmaids in the leadup to their wedding, Kansas City, 1947.
At the bridal dinner of Barbara Winn and Tom Ferrell Bailey, held at the Kansas City Club, the main course was pheasant “a la Barbara,” 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Barbara Winn used a lace doily as the “something old” in her wedding outfit, Kansas City, 1947.
Bride Barbara Winn in her new wedding dress, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The “borrowed” element of Barbara Winn’s wedding dress was this petticoat, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Barbara Winn wore a blue garter as the “something blue” in her wedding outfit, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Bride Barbara Winn placed a lucky sixpence in her shoe before her wedding, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Barbara Winn’s wedding veil was adjusted by one of her bridesmaids before the wedding ceremony, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The bridesmaids for the wedding of Barbara Winn and Tom Ferrell Bailey in Kansas City, October 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The wedding of Barbara Winn and Tom Ferrell Bailey, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The wedding of Barbara Winn and Tom Ferrell Bailey, Kansas City, 1947.
The wedding of Barbara Winn and Thomas Ferrell Bailey, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Tom Ferrell Bailey kissed bride Barbara Winn at their wedding, Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
After their wedding friends and family gave a send-off to newlyweds Tom Ferrell Bailey and Barbara Winn, Kansas City, 1947.
Wedding presents sat on display in the bride’s bedroom two days before her wedding, with more gifts expected to come.
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Garbage that consisted mostly of wrapping from wedding gifts was piled high. “Special trucks were obtained to haul it all away,” LIFE wrote. Kansas City, 1947.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
