Desi Arnaz Described the ‘Beautiful Night’ He and Lucille Ball Had After Their Wedding
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the late stars of I Love Lucy, went through many ups and downs during their 20-year marriage. However, Arnaz and Ball said they had good memories from their wedding day. Here’s what Arnaz said about the “beautiful night” they had after their wedding.
Desi Arnaz wanted to marry Lucille Ball as soon as he could
In his book, titled A Book, Arnaz said he was “madly in love” with Ball and wanted to get married as soon as possible. He and Ball decided to have a judge marry them in Greenwich, Connecticut. Arnaz was in such a hurry to get married that he forgot to buy a wedding ring. Since it was a weekend and all the jewelry stores were closed, his business manager and agent went to a “five-and-dime store” to purchase a ring.
Arnaz had to hurry back after the ceremony because he had to do a show at the Roxy. He knew he would be late, so he called the manager and told him he wouldn’t be there on time because he was getting married. The judge who performed the ceremony was able to arrange a motorcycle escort for Ball and Arnaz so that they could get to the Roxy quickly.
The judge wanted to make Arnaz and Ball’s wedding day special, so he arranged for them to get married at a nearby country club instead of his office. Arnaz said the judge even called ahead and had the staff cool champagne and install floral arrangements. By the time Arnaz and Ball got back to New York, they were greeted by photographers and fans.
Desi Arnaz said he and Lucille Ball had a ‘beautiful’ night
Arnaz was touched by the reception he and Ball received when they arrived at the Roxy. He says the audience clapped for them and threw rice for good luck. “It looked like a snowstorm when they put the spotlights on and we saw this cascade of rice coming down from way up in the last tier onto the stage,” wrote Arnaz.
Later that night, Ball and Arnaz had a wedding party at a restaurant. He said they played “The Wedding March” as soon as they walked in. The restaurant also played music from Ball’s movies. “It was a beautiful night,” said Arnaz. “Exhausting, but beautiful.” Arnaz said he and Ball went back to her hotel room and they didn’t go to sleep until 6 in the morning.
Lucille Ball was in a ‘daze of happiness’ during the early part of her marriage
Although there was conflict in their relationship, Ball said in her book, Love, Lucy, their marriage improved during and after her first pregnancy. For her, that year was “the best.”
“The best year of my marriage to Desi was just before and after the birth of our first child,” said Ball. “We exchanged no harsh words and experienced no upsets of any kind. Desi hovered over me, attentive to every need. I was grateful to God and in a complete daze of happiness.”
Lucille Ball on her wedding day
Ball told the story of her wedding day in her autobiography. According to her, they were so happy that they kept kissing each other and the wedding certificate. She says she kissed the certificate so many times that it still had her lipstick marks on it, years later.
Arnaz said he and Ball later had a formal church wedding in 1949. Although he upgraded Ball’s ring, he said Ball still wore the cheap ring he purchased when they were first married. “It got greener and skinnier as the years went by, but she never took it off,” said Arnaz.
RELATED: ‘I Love Lucy’: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Almost Didn’t Get Married
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