Friday, August 6, 2010

Thoughts on some of the weddings

WARNING, spell check not working today.  And you all know, I can't spell.

The Recorder's Office has been crazy for the last month.  People out the door waiting to buy marriage licenses and many of them wanting us to do the ceremony.  Most couples seem to arrive around 3:00 and we are slammed trying to get everyone handled by the 4:00 cut off. 

This week was different.  Monday there were 6 wedding ceremonies.  It was a nicely paced day.  Wednesday, when I walked in at 12:45, the lobbies were packed. Marriage licenses, death certificates, birth certificates, business licenses, every counter was busy. I was doing my first marriage ceremony by 12:50. By 3:00 I had done 7 ceremonies.  Now that isn't a lot, but 90% of the licenses had errors. That takes more time. They had to be corrected, reprinted, and re signed.  Everyone was making mistakes.  Even the clerks who are always perfect.  Strange day.  And then by 3:15 there was no one in the lobby. We kept waiting for the 3:00 rush.  Never happened.

Some of the things I remember about this week.:

The nursing mother with the huge blue veined boobs falling out of her dress. The dress was definitely bought before the baby's birth. 
 
One groom was so nervous I was afraid he would pass out.  He was very wobbly.  After the wedding I told him that he had worried me.  And he said, "This was scarier than taking the Bar."

There was the annoying couple.  I walked through both lobbies calling their names.  After the 5th time I yelled last call for ........  Nothing.  I walk to the clerk and ask if she sees them.  Yes, they were standing behind me, never once saying here we are.  They just wandered around the lobby.  They had 10 or so guests who never shut up during the wedding.  Rude, rude, rude.

One couple looked a little rough. The bride had on tight jeans, a camisole with bra straps showing, and lots of tattoos.  But on her feet, lilac high heel sandals.  Those shoes had to have cost $400.  They were magnificent!  This couple was so not what they looked like.  They were so moved by the ceremony, they adored each other.  Very tender moment.

Then there was the bride in the long creamy wedding dress. The dress had ruching front and back. There was also lacing up the back.  The dress was stunning. The groom was in a suit.  They had 20 guests all dressed up and even had a professional photographer.  On the bride's upper arm was a tattoo she had tried to cover with makeup.  The tattoo was two initials.  And they were not the groom's.

And the last one is a lesson in life.  Always read all of the documents.  This was a confidential marriage.  The couple was divorced less than a month ago.  They had been surprised to get the final divorce decree.  They had made up and thought they had stopped the divorce procedings.  Some where they missed sending in some papers.  Consequently, they were in my wedding room.

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