WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS EVEN MEAN? And just imagine some potential scenarios. For example, mom – presumably the Real Mom – could end up having some awkward conversations. The Bride don’t forget she is a “girl” in the conventional wedding-guide lingo) – what’s SHE going to say? Does the Real Dad get stuck footing the bill? Or does the Not-Real Dad have to fork over some $$$? Oh, and also: WHAT THE HELL?

Where did I find all this stuff? Here’s a list:

The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette: A Guide to Contemporary Living – revised and expanded by Letitia Baldridge – ©1978
Emily Post’s Complete Book of Wedding Etiquette – Elizabeth L. Post – © 1982
Sane Sex Life and Sane Sex Living: Some Things that All Sane People Ought to Know About Sex Nature and Sex Functioning; Its Place in the Economy of Life, Its Proper Training and Righteous Exercise – H. W. Long, M.D. – ©1919 (published by – WTF? – the Eugenics Publishing Company)
Wedding Etiquette Properly Explained – Vernon Heaton – © 1966
What Every Married Woman Should Know – William J. Fielding – © 1942 (Volume V of the Rational Sex Series) (If anyone knows where I can get Volumes 1 through 4, please let me know.)

(The show Women’s Work, which includes these pieces, opens today at Positive Space Gallery in Tulsa. The gallery will be open 5 – 8. Please stop by if you are close and wondering what to do.)

from the Transferrable Property series
vintage photo, scanned and edited