When you are doing wedding ceremonies in a government building, you gets all kinds of people. Some are nice, some are just fun, some are rude, some make you proud to be an American, some are dumber than a red brick. This week we had them all. I am going to write about a few of them today and later this weekend write about some others.
I read the license, the bride's address was USS Carl Vinson. Yes, this time the bride was military. A beautiful young woman who was very proud of being in the Navy. Anytime I have a bride or groom who are military, I get teary eyed. We owe them so much. Be sure to read the link. This is one important ship.
Another couple was really really nervous. When a couple comes in to buy a license, they input names and addresses into the computer. Then a clerk pulls up information, she add some information, prints the license, they read over everything, and sign the licence. They pre bought the license and came back for the ceremony. The clerk who handled the ceremony transaction spotted an error and reprinted the license. I then got the license. The license has spaces for the mothers' maiden names. I checked the license and the couple had put the married names. Back to another clerk and reprint and sign again. The next one is partly my fault. I hadn't checked the whole license. We get into the elevator and I scan the license again. Another error. The license has a box for street, a box for city, a box for state. They had put in the street address, for city Unit D, nothing for state. Reprint again. They were very sweet and very nervous. We finally got it right and I married them.
This last couple were very sweet, very in love, but they had really rude guests. The bride wore a white one shouldered cocktail dress. She wore a pretty jeweled hair clip. The groom wore a white suit, and their toddler son wore a white suit. Well over 30 guests. Loading them on the elevators took forever. People kept disappearing. It was like herding cats. I go up on the last elevator with the couple and some others. The bride wants to walk in on her father in law's arm, she wants the groom to be up front with me.
I go into the wedding room and try to talk to the guests about rules of phones, taking pictures, how to bring up the rings. They won't shut up. One of the women kept trying hush them. Not working. I finally used my school teaching voice and said to please be quiet! One of the men looked at me and said, "You certainly have attitude." And I thought hell yes I have attitude, you're lucky I am staying to do this wedding. I get the groom up front, signal the bride, and we begin. The guests are still talking and laughing. They did not quiet down until we are half way through the ceremony.
I felt so sorry for the couple. But the crowd wouldn't listen to me. Rude rude rude. And the rudeness continued. I gave them extra time to take pictures, that many people it takes longer. I gave them the 5 minute warning after all the paper work was done. They wouldn't leave. They just kept taking pictures. I thought I was going to have to get the deputy to throw them all out. After I became the alpha dog, I got them out of the room. They were another 10 minutes leaving the downstairs lobby.
Next time, elephants, lost couple, laughter.
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