Many brides today would shudder at the thought of sharing her wedding day and venue with another woman, especially if the fellow bride was her younger sister. On June 10, 1899, however, Margaret and Evelyn (Eva) MacKerricher walked down the aisle together to marry Joel Cotton and Alfred Austin Lord, respectively, at Laguna Ranch, their family home in Cleone. The land is now MacKerricher State Park.
Double wedding ceremonies were not uncommon throughout history, especially for siblings and close cousins who found their love match around the same time. This manner of celebration peaked in the late 19th and early 20th century. Double ceremonies were a cost-effective way for the families to plan one party and reception, and it was beneficial in rural areas where family or friends may have to travel far to attend.
In 1888, former first lady Lucretia Garfield (married to James A. Garfield, the 20th president, who was assassinated in 1881) planned a double wedding ceremony for her son Harry Garfield and daughter Mollie. Mollie married Joseph Stanley-Brown, President Garfield’s personal secretary. The couples were married in the family home, which is now a historic site in Ohio.
Margaret and Eva’s wedding was described as beautiful and sunny. An altar was constructed in the family parlor, decorated with white roses and lined with a white satin ribbon tied into a “lover’s knot.” The aisle that led through the center of the room was lined with more white roses and ferns. The youngest MacKerricher sister, Edith, led the procession. She untied the lover’s knot at the edge of the altar, allowing entry onto the platform. Reverend J.S. (John Simpson) Ross followed, then the two grooms.
Margaret and Eva walked down the aisle at the same time. Margaret was led by their father, Duncan MacKerricher, while Eva was led by their older brother Russell. The sisters both wore white silk. The color had been popularized for wedding dresses about 50 years earlier after Queen Victoria of England wore white during her wedding.
A reception followed the ceremony, including a meal surrounded by friends and family. The brides tossed their bouquets, a tradition spanning back to the Medieval period. The Fort Bragg Advocate and News reported that “a kindly fate bestowed the bouquets on Miss Margaret Cummings and Mr. Edwin S. Scott, and they were correspondingly radiant.”
Both sets of newlyweds set off at the end of the day, presumably to their new homes in Fort Bragg. For the MacKerricher sisters, it seems like sharing their wedding day made the occasion even happier.
Caption: A festive group poses for a wedding photo. The Kelley House Museum often receives photographs with numbers that identify those pictured, Margaret MacKerricher is number 2, and her sister Eva is number 3. (Kelley House Museum via Bay City News)
Kelley House Museum curator Averee McNear writes a weekly column on Mendocino County history for Mendocino Voice. To learn more, visit kelleyhousemuseum.org.