Monday, if you remember, I did no weddings. Wednesday I wasn't even to my desk when I was told a couple had been waiting for 30 minutes. That afternoon the Marriage Desk Clerk D and I did 11 weddings. Yesterday I wrote about the storm on Tuesday, Wednesday was worse. Why were these people out in that awful weather?
The first couple to marry were older, he was 65 and she was 54. He said his vows with strength and determination, never taking his eyes off his bride. Their witness was a worker at the Deli. She is young, self supporting, and in her third year of college. The groom handed her a large tip and said a young person in college needed all the help they could get.
The next bride was tiny, maybe a size 4 or 6. When she took her coat off, her blouse pulled up. This tiny thing was wearing Spanx. And I figured out she had on lower body Spanx too. She kept pulling at the legs of her jeans. Why, why would such a little person think she needed Spanx?
An Asian couple was dressed very properly for a wedding, sort of. He wore a gorgeous blue suit with a grey tie. She wore a Grecian style long white dress. It had a deep decolletage that was filled in with a red bra. It gets better. She was cold so under her wedding dress, she wore black leggings. Thankfully they did not show. Her shoes you ask. Spring grass green suede wedge booties. Now I loved the booties. She told me her grandmother bought them for her. This couple was very quiet and serious during the ceremony. When I pronounced them married he kissed her and she picked up her bouquet and held it above her head like a triumphant conqueror. The room erupted into laughter.
The next couple had a little boy around 3. He was playing with their camera and dropped it. Daddy fussed at him and took it away from him. Huge huge screaming temper tantrum. We aren't in the wedding room yet. I am worried. He calms down but is sulking. The parents want him to stand with them during the ceremony. He said, "No, I want to sit here and cry." And he did, very quietly.
There were some problems with licenses, most the customers' fault. One a clerk's. We had two brothers wanting to marry in a double ceremony. One groom just turned 18 the other groom was 20. Two clerks were doing their licenses and it did not go well. The couples could not make decisions. They kept asking for help from parents. The big hang up was the brides taking the grooms' last name, or to hyphenate. They made a decision the licenses were printed and signed. No, we changed our minds. So both licenses are changed, printed again, and signed again. Everybody is happy. The clerks gave me the licenses and asked me to take the group up to D, they wanted the ceremony in Spanish. I call the 4 names and all hell breaks loose. They say there are mistakes on the licenses. They speak little English and I speak no Spanish. I take them to a bilingual clerk. They have changed their minds again! She handles it, reprints, and I finally get them upstairs. A simple 10 minute at the clerks' windows took 30.
I took the last couple (I thought) of the day into D's office to record their license. D said there is another couple downstairs ready to marry, will I stay? They are older and one is in a wheelchair. It is only 4:15, plenty of time to do a wedding and leave at 4:30 when Marty comes to get me. I go down to my desk, no license. I look in the lobby, the couple is still at the clerk's window. Someone told D a big fat fib. They are not ready. I said something about it being so late and the license not done yet to a lead clerk. She was not happy. She had told the clerk no ceremony, it was 15 minutes after we cut off the ceremonies. The clerk ignored that and told the couple we would do a ceremony.
Now I was ticked. I don't mind staying if the couple are punched in on time. I don't mind staying if the clerks ask me would I please stay late. But to tell us that the license is ready to go, to ignore a Superior's ruling, to just lie about it to the Marriage Desk Clerk, that was just wrong. I came close to just gathering my stuff and leaving, Marty was sitting out front. But I stayed and did the ceremony. Which meant I was 20 minutes late leaving.
Clerks do not abuse the goodness of the volunteer!
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