Yesterday was 7-11-11. People love stand out dates. We were busy marrying couples, and a lot of licenses were sold. The lobby in the County Recorder's Building was packed all afternoon.
When I walked in the county building I saw the dress swirling around the chair. The bride and groom were sitting at the clerk's window. The bride wore a long white dress with bead work on the front and the train. The dress was ruched to one side. She wore a short veil held in place by a double band of rhinestones. He had on a black tux and his shirt was very interesting. Each cuff of his shirts ended in a small ruffle. I know that sounds awful, but it wasn't.
Now they weren't the only ones dressed formally. When I gathered them to go upstairs I was impressed. There were around 30 people. The women wore long beautiful dresses with fur shrugs. Yes fur. The bride had a white fur shrug. We are having cold foggy weather this week. You need a coat. Anyway, the men wore dark suits. And then the children. The little boys wore tuxes that matched the groom's. The little girls wore white long dresses that complimented the bride's dress.
Now we have this fancy wedding. Very prim and proper guests. And the bride and groom nervously laughed throughout the ceremony.
We had a fancy formal wedding at the county building. Everyone from the Sheriff's Deputies to the clerks were loving the look. This couple may have had the most formal, elegant wedding group of the day. But they weren't the only ones making a fashion statement.
The next couple were crisp, squeaky clean, with shinning black hair. They were very tiny, right at five foot each. They were like two perfects dolls standing there. The groom was so crisp with his starched shirt, military haircut, and stiff posture. He wore a gorgeous blue pinstriped suit. The bride wore white flowers in her black hair. She wore a knee length white dress. The bodice was of soft satin, the skirt had crisp knife pleats, and at the waist was a black ribbon belt. On her feet were flowered white sandals.
Another couple had a large group of guests. Most were dressed up, except for the Matron of Honor. She was just thrown together and that is the nicest thing I can say. The groom wore a black tux with a rose boutonniere. The bride wore a white, knee length, Greek style dress. She carried a bouquet of roses of mixed colors. She accessorized the dress with a cellphone. I didn't think I would get her off the phone long enough to do the ceremony.
Two weddings the couples were in everyday clothes. But don't think these wedding weren't as emotional or moving as the fancy ones. One bride was terribly nervous. She kept wiping her hands on her dress. She would look at her hands and say, "sweaty palms". Then they would laugh. This went on over and over. She was really nervous.
The last wedding I did nearly make me break down. The bride and groom were very casual, very calm and collected. I began the ceremony, the groom was saying his vows and the bride nearly collapsed. She was sobbing out loud. The groom held and comforted her. This went on for several minutes. I wasn't sure if she would be able to go on. She gathered herself together and I picked up the ceremony. Then the groom started crying. The witness is crying. It was all I could do not to cry with everyone. We got through the ceremony, and ended with smiles all around.
You just never know what emotions will hit in the ceremonies. We have the laughers, the criers, the fainters, the stoics, we even have people who bounce. People handle the big step of marriage in many different ways.
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