ReTRo HouSeWiFe

RETRO-SPECTIVE THE DECADES PAST:

Romance, Dating and Marriage in the 1960s

Are You A Swinger?

The 1960s were a boon to singles. The baby boomers were coming of age and for many, marriage could be put off for a few years in order to enjoy the single life and have a bit of a whirl. Thus was born the swinger.

The free market happily obliged this new phenomenon with an abundance of "Singles-Only" activities, entertainment and even places to live. Singles apartment complexes began to spring up (starting in California and moving east, natch.)

It seems the first such singles enclaves were the South Bay Club in Torrance (every one of its 248 apartment units were rented before construction was even completed), the 130-unit Friday Apartments in North Torrance, the 200-unit Friday Sylmar in Sylmar and the 143-unit Friday U.S.A. in South Torrance.

These joints catered to the 21 - 40 year old-employed-in-respectable-white-collar-jobs crowd (average income a whopping $8,000 per year...yeah I know....1960s dollars.) And, as the "Cool Swingers" ad says, many employed social directors to come up with fun excuses for boy to meet girl.

If you got married, you were history. Different times.

Love American Style circa 1960

Las Vegas was honeymoon destination of Mr. and Mrs. Armound Rubert Meyer (Georgia Pauline Johnson) who spoke their vows in a double ring ceremony performed by the Rev. Elmer Klenk of First Lutheran Church of Van Nuys.  

...  the bride chose a floor length gown of French lace over white satin embroidered with seed pearls and star sequins. Her fingertip veil was attached to a crown of seed pearls and sequins and she carried a bouquet of white orchids and stephanotis.
Run For The Border!!
Those wild South Dakotans had no waiting period to get married, causing many eager, lovesick couples to high-tail it to South Dakota to start their life of bliss together 3 whole days sooner!

Have a great story about the 1960s? Tell us at the retro housewife hotline!

Love Notes

• 
  1964 - Marriage Applications posted in the local newspaper.
  

• Singles Only Week-End the first such promotion on record, hosted by Grossinger's Hotel in the Catskills. Young, single co-eds were bused in for a week-end of recreation, parties, and spouse hunting.

• Astronauts are IN!
  Apollo 11, the fifth human spaceflight in the Apollo program, carried three American astronauts on its journey to the moon. The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong, commander; Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, lunar module pilot; and Michael Collins, command module pilot.

• 
   

Brides of the 1960s

Young couple, both graduates of San Fernando High School, will reside in Canoga Park following their Santa Barbara honeymoon. 1964

 Graduates of Canoga Park High School, the couple studied at Pierce College. For her wedding at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Woodland Hills, Susan chose a peau de soie gown embroidered with Chantilly lace and seed pearls. A shoulder-length veil fell from a matching tiara and she carried a spray of white orchids and stephanotis.

Lynn G. was maid of honor and bridal attendants included Gail Entrekin, Mmes. John Turquand, John Coughlan and Robert Campbell. Flower girl was Becky R. Serving as best man was John Turquand and seating guests were Stan and Ronald Ramage, Charles Pisciotla and Steve Anderson. Ring bearer was Jimmy Coughlan. Two hundred and fifty guests were present at a reception hosted by the bride's parents and the newlywed couple left immediately afterward for their wedding trip to San Francisco and the bay area. They will be at home in Canoga Park after Oct. 15.  1964