If you’re a certain age … or a connoisseur of big-band music, you’ll no doubt recognize the chant: Pennsylvania 6-5000!

It was the phone number for the Hotel Pennsylvania in Midtown Manhattan, once the largest hotel in the world. And it was the hotel Mom and Dad chose for their honeymoon in 1952.

By all means, give it a listen:

They were married on November 4, 1952, while Dad was on a three-day leave from his service with the Army. There wasn’t time for a lot of travel or to venture too far from home, so they honeymooned in New York City.

Here’s some of what they packed away as mementos all those years ago:

The newspaper article

I’ve always learned laminating is not a good idea when you’re trying to preserve a newspaper article. This clipping from the New Haven Register has certainly held up well, though. There’s a sticker on the back that credits Memento Associates: A Plastic Laminating Service.

Tiny wedding photos

The original is tiny. Seriously, it measures 1.5″x1.5″; but it certainly captured the moment.

They’re standing in front of the sunroom at Mom’s childhood home on Chatham Street in New Haven, Connecticut. From left, Mom’s brother, Ray, just 14 years old; her groom; Mom; and her sister, Bunny (who must have been freezing in her sleeveless gown! Remember, it was November 4).

The Certificate of Marriage

After a quick search for the company listed at the bottom of the certificate, details popped up about specialized printing for church organizations. Today, the company offers online list maintenance (for soliciting donations and other such holy record-keeping).

Pennsylvania 6-5000

Dad and Mom also preserved their hotel receipt. Two nights for $21*.

*That calculates out to $267.01 in today’s dollars. (Oh, how Dad would have loved to know that.)

The ticket stubs paper-clipped to the folder were for Madison Square Garden. The remaining portion of the torn tickets didn’t include information about what they were there to see …

Fortunately, I’ve learned to always search online for answers to such mysteries, and sure enough:

I’d been wondering for years what the story might be regarding this souvenir program. A honeymoon keepsake!

After their three days together, Dad returned to Fort Dix and found orders to ship out on his bunk. Mom returned to her parents’ home, where she lived until Dad returned from Korea in June of 1954.

They moved more than a dozen times in their many years together. No matter what, no matter where, they kept this little bag of mementos along with their promise to love each other forever.

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