Effie's wedding - BBC website

Three women in hats holding flowers were bridesmaids, wedding photograph of my Aunt shows her bridesmaids wearing large hats and holding large bouquets

St Columba’s was always the Scottish “society” church in London.

I always thought they were bridesmaids , comparing the photo with some of my MIL’s family photos where the bridesmaids wore big hats or headdresses and carried bouquets of a size with a bride’s bouquet. (And they were very posh weddings)

Presumably, this photo was taken by a wedding guest, while Effie and her new husband were having a studio photo taken before going to the reception.

I doubt any bride in 1939 marrying for the first time would have worn a hat, instead of a veil and orange flowers. Wearing a hat in a Scottish family at that time was tantamount to shouting that you were not a virgin!

And even in 1979 Scottish brides didn't shout that aloud.

(and not a 'nee' in sight)

If you look in the bottom picture - the one with the sliding arrows - it gives some of their names.

It does rather give the game away.

I believe poor Effie was killed in a bombing raid on the BBC just a year later. Sad ending to the story.

Thank you for checking Jalima.

Well I hope the Scottish bridal-looking bridesmaids didn't overshadow the bride and that's why she's not in the photo - must have run off in a strop!

Very posh!

After a very brief check, I can't find a record of a Duncan MacIntyre marrying an Isa McFie so they are probably all bridesmaids - rather a posh wedding!

St Columba's is a Scottish church so Scots living here do get married there.

If it's established that they are three brides then that can't be Effie's wedding - the church has confirmed that she married there in July 1939, surely they'd have mentioned that it was a triple/quadruple affair!

I think that being a secretary or shorthand-typist was an extremely acceptable profession for girls from well-to-do families in those days - especially working for the BBC.

If most of them were Scottish why were they getting married in London (and they do look like brides - surely bridesmaids wouldn't have such extravagant bouquets?).

The family in that photo must have been quite grand, judging from the clothes and general demeanor.

And that's quite a large crowd to come down from Scotland for Effie's wedding, unless some were already here. Effie was a shorthand typist at the BBC - I'm not sure if that would have been a career choice for a wealthy girl, unless she was on 'secret operations' or something!

They do look like brides rather than bridesmaids and in those days there would probably have only been one best man; bridesmaids would not have paired up with groomsmen as they tend to do nowadays. Were they perhaps all family members, a brother and a sister and the other 'bride' a cousin, who all got married on the same day?

But where's Effie?

and where is paddyann - she's needed!

I hope Paddyann has a look at this thread to cast a professional eye over the three 'brides'!

Sorry to go on!

In the photo at the bottom (with the sliding arrows) it shows the names of the young ladies with bouquets and they had different surnames to the gents with them.

So sad. You do forget these days, the danger we were in at that time.

Thank you for the article Riverwalk.

I had a coat just like one of those little girls.And I so remember those gaberdine macs.

I think they are bridesmaids (in the wedding photo).

That is an amazing article. God! that newsreader (in the video) was so calm, and so brave!

They look like brides to me, particularly the bouquets, and the men look like their grooms!

I'd guess the 3 ladies in hats are bridesmaids, and it's a photo of a group of guests without the bride & groom.

Are we talking The Archers.? I have missed a lot of it lately.

I think that photo isn't of Effie's wedding.