12 on 12/12

Monday was 12/12/11.  People like to marry on days with interesting number combinations.  We, meaning staff and myself, did 12 marriage ceremonies on Monday.  Marriage Desk Clerk D said she thought that I should include that fact in my blog.  Thank you D. 

My first ceremony was really interesting.  And regular readers know that means somewhere someone screwed up. 

The couple had had a lovely wedding in Mendocino. Lots of guests. The couple had asked a friend to do the ceremony, and paid for him to be a one day marriage commissioner.  The county sent the friend the packet that contained information he would need to do a legal ceremony and how to do the paper work.  There was also an application form that had to be notarized.

The clerk who sends out the temporary commission packets keeps track of when the marriage is in this type of wedding.  If she does not receive the notarized application by the date of the wedding, she lets D know the marriage is not valid and not to record the license.

And folks that is what happened to this couple.  Their friend did not fill out the application, did not get the paperwork notarized, totally screwed up.

The license could not be recorded, they had to buy another license. They had to have another ceremony by a legal commissioner, me.  But the ceremony fee was waived since it was the same price as the temporary deputization. 

Like I always told my students, read all the directions.