After graduating from McGehee and Newcomb College, Jeanie Mirandona started working at Shell Oil Company. James “Jimmy” Howard Gibert Sr. was an architect, a partner in Ceiferth and Gibert, when he received a “Please Escort” to accompany Jeanie to a family wedding. He asked her out before the wedding and forgot about the date. Jeanie was so mad at him that she barely talked to him at the wedding. He went to Europe, she started dating someone else and he came back and asked her out all of the time. This consummate bachelor asked Jeanie to go to Brennan’s on Royal Street – one of their favorite places – where he asked her to marry him. They were engaged in July and married in September 21, 1957, on the last day of summer.
They were married at Holy Name and the reception for 400 to 500 people was at home at 11 Audubon Blvd. They had 12 bridesmaids and 12 groomsmen; after their wedding the church changed the maximum number of attendants to only eight. Shirley Heumann of Rohm’s Florist created the flowers for the church and the reception, including roses, gardenias and lots of greenery, as well as decorating the canopy. Jeanie’s dress was Adele Simpson – which her sister, Tommye, found in Vogue – and ordered from Gus Mayer. Both of her sisters wore the dress of embroidered flowers on organdy before Jeanie, and it was also worn in Jeanie’s own daughter’s wedding! The bridesmaids’ dresses, also from Gus Mayer, were of champagne peau de soie, and everyone wore short gloves.
The reception was an evening affair, and because of the heat, two air conditioning trucks were parked in the driveway. Mrs. Chenowith crafted the food, and the cake was designed by Ledner’s Bakery. Beautiful flowers decorated the one-tier almond flavored cake. By the end of the evening the air-conditioning had blown a fuse, so everyone said goodbye with candles lighting the way.
Jeanie and Jimmy changed into their going away outfits, after finding out that someone had stolen his pants and her skirt! Then they were off to their honeymoon, first to Ponte Vedra, Fla., and then to St. Thomas, where they stayed at Blue Beard’s Castle – in the round tower and in a round bed. They have been married for over 56 years.
