Planning a Wedding 1940's style and the History of Hess' Department Store

 Planning a wedding now is very different from past decades.  Now we have everything online, Save the Date Cards, Destination Weddings, Wedding Websites, Online Registries, Honeymoon Registries.  Email invitations and thank you's. 

In the 1980's you walked through a store with a representative and they wrote down the items that you and your betrothed liked.  Your family and friends would have then asked where you were registered, gone to that store and would receive a list from the Registry Department. 

In the 1940's, the store you went to gave you very personalized service to plan your wedding.  Here we are sharing a gift given to newly engaged women from Hess Brothers Department Store in Allentown PA. 

Hess Brothers was THE destination to make all plans and purchases for your new life as a wife.  Max and Charles Hess were brother's who grew up in Germany.  They found that the area of Allentown PA in the year 1896 was a town that was starting to build up.  They rented space in the Grand Central Hotel and marketed their new business with display advertising in local papers and a local band to let the potential customers know they were opening. 

Their store gradually became the destination for most purchases.  Household Goods, Dry Goods, Clothing and other items of Quality.  They even brought the latest fashions from Europe.   They were able to help you plan and purchase everything you would need for your special day. 

Wedding Dresses, Trousseau attire, Wedding Party outfits for all involved. 

Interior Decorators to help you plan and design your new home. 

A personal assistant who will help you choose everything you will need for your entire life.  Clothing, Dish and Cookware, Color schemes and Linens.  

This planner helped you keep track of everything you needed to do BEFORE and AFTER your wedding. 

Not only does this book have checklists for all wedding plans, it has an invitation list and what you would be mailing to the people you listed.  Were they invited to the church?  The reception?  Sending them a wedding announcement if they didn't make the 'cut' for the event itself.  

It was customary to send wedding gifts to the Parents of the Bride's home.  There is a convenient Gift Record area, where you can write the address of the gifter, the item when received and even who delivered it!  Makes it quite easy to send those handwritten thank you notes.   There is a gift record filled out in this book, and gifts were still arriving almost a year to the date the registry was made.  The last column in this area was where the bride would mark the date they sent a thank you note. 

There is a household budget area good for a full year.  

And the last page of this gift, is a purchase record of your War Bonds and Stamps. 

Hess Brothers Stores was a big part of our shopping history.  The anchor store eventually took over the entire Hotel where they originally rented space.  They added a restaurant, and expanded the building.  They eventually had 17 stores when the business was sold.  

If you are interested in purchasing this item you can visit vintagecurioshoppe