I had a Cockney wedding in 1947 when still on rations. Not ideal but at least I got married and we were together for 67 years.
As for the baby shower, things were still in short supply and we could not afford one even if they were not.
For all that I would not have wanted my life any other way.
I dreamt of “tall, dark and handsome, large house in the country, lots of children and animals.”
The wedding cost £150
No baby showers.
Not even maternity pay.
Struggled in a 2 bed flat on one wage for near on 20 years.
I’m a happier adult than I was a child and I hope my children are happier than I ever was and will be happy adults too.
Life is certainly not an Enid Blyton book. 
I should add to my post above that I did not even think about what type of house I would like, cars etc. we have never been “planners” and do most things last minute.
We have though ended up with 2 nice houses, 3 vehicles and OH has a big motorbike. We take a couple of foreign holidays a year and we owe nobody a penny. Houses were paid off years ago.
We have both worked very hard.
I had absolutely no plans on what my future was when I was at home, having all ambition driven out of me by my abusive parent, apart from leaving school as soon as I could because my education was being used as a weapon against me. I fell into a job at sixteen in something I had no plans or career aspirations in. It was a job offer I took because there was no other - and it paid money. Forty-four years later, I eventually retired from it - although I had many different roles within it and climbed the promotional ladder and became something I never thought I would.
As for marriage, that came about purely by chance, as we both worked in the same department (and a little office match-making). We were never going to have children - but that’s another story.
You pays your money and you takes your chances.
I’m a man, married to my high school sweetie 34yrs note.
In re: to the OP.
-I wasn’t really sure what to expect but really thought I’d find a job, work thirty years and retire, having bedded a beautiful maiden and made a bunch of kids, made good money, and built a nice life doing anything.
This did NOT come true, at least not in that manner. I instead enlisted in the military, got hurt, they retired me on disability, I worked in the civilian sector till the disability was too bad then ended up totally disabled/retired.
I got the beautiful maiden, two kids, a great home, a solid income, and a now very happy life.
As for the proposal, I started proposing our senior year of high school and proposed multiple times daily till i had a “yes,” and she wrote my mothers engagement ring till I got her one, and that was to replace the first love ring I skipped lunch to save the money to buy. No kidding I starved myself like 3 months of lunch to get that thing and cut a deal with a jewelry store manager who took cash payments for me till I had enough….
She said yes diluting that year. We graduated. I went to boot camp, we married the following year. We’ve never looked back.
Very different from some of my adolescent dreams of being an author writing in a cabin in the woods, but this life is much sexier IMO
And, way it is from MY perspective, every morning I wake up next to the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. Amazing how after 37 years she still takes my breath.
What happened?
K. While attempting to repair a B-52G ejection
Nasty.How is your hand now?
Very long story behind this I’ll spare ya.
It’s ok, thanks 
