Really? I got up at 6:00 for this??

I am not a morning person.  I still can’t figure out how I was able to hold a full time job and show up at 7:30 in the morning.  Schools start really early.  Anyway, Tuesday was Valentine’s Day.  This is the Super Bowl for The Marriage Factory.  Not this year.

In past years we have added two more rooms for ceremonies.  We had 4 to 6 volunteer marriage commissioners working that day.  We married a huge amount of couples.  I’ve done  20+ weddings on some Valentine’s Day. 

Tuesday I was to be there at 8:30 when the doors open.  We get caught in traffic and I am cranky toward Marty.  I am never late.  That is just rude.  We finally get to the County Building and I am late, a whole 2 minutes.

Cranky Janet stomps in.  Where are the couples?  Where is the line around the block?  If no one is here, why am I?

We only have 17 appointments beginning at 9:00. (Other years we have had 30.)  No walk-ins waiting, a few people are buying a license.  The 9:00 doesn’t show.  Nor the next appointment.  Then there was a cancellation.  Where has the love gone?

I had nothing to do, so I took pictures of the areas staff decorated.  They were still working when I took these.

 

As the elevator doors open this is what you see.

                                                 

They had hung white tulle from the ceiling and red tulle as a backdrop .  The heart hung down around 6 feet  2 inches from the floor.  I had several tall grooms and brides I had to warn to step forward.

They were still working in this room. The hearts hanging down were only the beginning.  They covered the wall with other strands spaced 6 inches apart.  Each room had fresh roses as did areas of the lobbies.

I did my first wedding at 9:30.  The 2 other commissioners didn’t do a wedding until close to 10:00.   The 9:00 appointment showed up at 11:00.  And we didn’t even have to work them in.  We had no business.  One commissioner said why am I here, left and went to work.  Another left shortly after that.  I only did 9 weddings.  The whole day only 30 ceremonies were performed.  Why no people, I asked.

The answer given was that the powers to be saw no need to advertise, no need for a press release, no need to spread the word.  They said people knew we were there.  I guess they didn’t.  We didn’t even have same sex protesters wanting to marry. 

The low turnout could also be attributed to the economy.  What do you think?  Let me know.