It’s no secret that the 1940s and 1950s were a strange time for feminism: girdles, cigarettes-as-diet-aids, and the concept that a college-educated woman’s utmost ambition should be a washing machine and 2.5 children abounded. Then as now, the wedding industry was in full swing, and publications like Modern Bride, Ladies’ Home Journal, and many more were keen to offer advice to newlyweds and brides-to-be. Here are a few of the most ridiculous snippets of advice we found when combing through the vintage wedding archives.

This Pepsi-Cola ad from 1956 claims that the “wholesome” qualities of the beverage create the “leanest, fittest-looking grooms and slimmest-waisted brides in history,” which obviously makes their marriages more likely to succeed…
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