Vintage Snapshots: The Wedding Car – 1950s to 1970s

By
– Posted on April 26, 2025

Text by Patrick Bell.

Today we have a gallery of cars used in weddings.  Some of these were obviously a “getaway” car, where someone chauffeured the bride and groom to another destination.  Meanwhile, many were likely simpler ceremonies where the newlyweds used their own car to escape the festivities when the time came.  Mine was of the latter variety; I had a ’69 Chrysler Newport that we used to go on our weekend honeymoon.  The car is long gone, but thankfully, I still have the wife.

There was plenty of room for the whole wedding party in this V8 powered ’59 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan.  In front of it was a ’64 Ford Galaxie 500 with some in-process body work.  The Impala looks in much better condition than the Galaxie, yet it was five years older.  There was another photographer at work on the far right.

It was a beautiful day for a wedding likely in California where the wedding party was climbing aboard this ’54 Oldsmobile Super 88 4 door sedan. Behind it was a ’59 Ford, and across the street a ’57 or ’58 Dodge.

Everyone looks happy except the driver of this sharp ’54 Plymouth Belvedere Convertible Coupe equipped with wire wheel covers.  This was one of 6,900 drop tops built that year.

Plymouths must have been popular wedding cars as we have another ’54 Belvedere, this one a 4 door sedan.  And there’s another ’54 4 door sedan across the street.  The decorating was underway.  A search reveals this was the wedding of Bruce and Bette in 1957.

I am not sure if this was the bride and groom, with the difference in clothing style, I would say it was not.  The wedding car was a close to new ’55 Buick Special 2 door Riviera from Ohio.  The license frame says “Bill’s Buick”, so that may have been Bill in the photo.

“Just Married – Watch ……….. ! – Don’t laff it kood happen to you!”  All that on the back of a ’55 Mercury Montclair 4 door sedan from LaPorte County, Indiana.

A group was checking out the newlyweds’ ’60 or ’61 Plymouth Valiant in the driveway of a mid-century home.  In the street was a white over red ’58 Ford Fairlane Club Victoria with a ’57 Ford wheel cover, a Morris Minor Tourer, and a ’59 Oldsmobile Super 88 4 door sedan.

Now here was a nice wedding car, a ’59 Cadillac Sixty-Two Six Window Sedan.  The wedding was taking place at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church which was built in 1940 and is still in operation.  Rudy’s Odorless Cleaners is also still in operation across the street.  They are located on the 4900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, the old Route 66.  At the curb was a gray ’49 or ’50 Chevrolet and a coral ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air.

The newlywed couple was getting in a very nice ’61 Chevrolet Impala convertible equipped with a V8, trailer hitch, and California license plates, perhaps heading off to their honeymoon.  It seems like an unusual place to be trading cars.  To the right was a ’58 Dodge.

A sharp ’62 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport convertible was serving as the “getaway” car here, with the bride and groom climbing aboard.  The neighborhood kids were observing in the background, and they don’t seem too impressed.  On the left, a tan ’59 or ’60 Studebaker Lark with a ’62 issue Illinois license plate.

People were milling about likely waiting for the newlyweds to emerge from the church.  The car in waiting was a ’62 Ford Falcon Tudor Sedan with a ’71 issue Ohio license plate.  It looks fairly solid for a nine year old car.

This was probably the bride as I see a wedding band, with the groom serving as photographer.  They were in the traveling phase of their honeymoon in a ’64 Plymouth Valiant Barracuda.  The Barracuda was introduced 17 days before the Mustang, but it was not near the hit, with sales less than 20% of the Ford.  On the left edge is a Mercedes-Benz W110 or W111 Fintail.

“Tennessee or Bust”.  I presume since this ’67 Pontiac GTO Hardtop Coupe was still decorated, the married couple had not left for their destination.  It was equipped with a vinyl roof, full wheel covers, and triple whitewall tires.  Next to it looks like a ’72 or ’73 Chrysler Newport Custom 2 door hardtop.

Here was another crowd waiting for the new bride and groom to work their way out to the ’77 or ’78 Ford Thunderbird at the curb.  It was from California and that also looks like the location.

Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

More Vintage Photos Here