Who: actress Ava Gardner and actor Mickey Rooney

When: January 10, 1942

Where: The intimate ceremony took place in Ballard, California.

The Ceremony: In an attempt to preserve the groom's position as an eternal teenager in the hearts of movie patrons, it was decided that the top box office draw and his starlet fiancee would wed in a quiet Presbyterian ceremony. As the wedding march and "I Love You Truly" was played, only five witnesses watched as Mickey Rooney slipped a wedding band engraved with the words "Love Forever" on to Ava Gardner's finger.

The Dress: During World War II practicality was the order of the day, with the bride wearing a light blue skirt and matching jacket accented with an orchid corsage and a delicate netted hat pinned to her brunette locks. The groom opted for a charcoal-grey suit embellished with a polka-dot tie and a carnation for his lapel.

The Honeymoon: After a week at the Del Monte Hotel near Carmel (which is now utilized as a Naval postgraguate school) the newlyweds joined a whirlwind tour of the United States in support of the war bond effort. While in San Francisco, the honeymooners stayed in the presidential suite at The Palace Hotel, its opulent glass-domed ceiling and chandeliers fashioned of Austrian crystals helping to make the establishment the pride of the city by the bay since 1875.

Moving on to Chicago, the pair lodged at the Omni Ambassador East, a National Historic Landmark which has reigned over the heart of the windy city since 1926. Guests of the hotel can indulge in a taste of Old Hollywood glamour at the Pump Room Restaurant, which is adorned with photos of the celebrities which have frequented the eatery, from Liza Minelli to Frank Sinatra. Patrons can request Booth One, where both Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood celebrated as newlyweds.

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