Weddings

Monday I did 5 marriage ceremonies. It was a nicely paced afternoon.  I would finish one wedding, go back to my desk, and then another license would be brought to me.  Five weddings and each one was different.

The first couple were both close to 50.  He wore a beautiful white three piece suit.  She wore a white silk suit that had a rolled collar and lapels. She had on fire engine red heels.   His mother was in a wheelchair and dressed to the nines.  She wore a white suit and a white hat that would have done Queen Elizabeth proud.  The brim was rolled up so her face showed.  And there was a fluttery delicate feather on the side.  The rest of the guests were dressed up too.  This couple was so happy and just beamed during the ceremony.

One couple had a very very loud little boy.  He was 4 and really all over the place.  He all but shouted every word he said.  I usually think I can out shout loud children and crying babies.  This kid had me worried, would I be heard?  I started the ceremony, and he stopped talking.  He sat still, listened, and watched what was going on.  As soon as the ceremony was over, he went hog wild again. 

The next couple was just fun and giddy.  Their witness had two huge Nikons and was snapping away.  The bride wore a white lacy dress, with a slip thank you very much.  We all laughed and cried together.  Mostly we laughed.

Couple four were in their early 30's and they were nervous wrecks.  They didn't know they had to have a witness, so we used the Deli guy D.  D kept trying to calm the couple down.  He told them this was the greatest day in their lives, but that tomorrow would be even better.  In the wedding room they were just too nervous to start the ceremony.  I hugged the bride and held her, and D hugged the groom.  We kinda sorta calmed them down and did the ceremony.  The couple was fine.  No one passed out.  No one ran away.  When the ceremony was over, the two of them laughed, and had huge smiles.

The last couple ended my day with a bad taste.  I started asking questions, rings? own vows?  The groom interrupted me and said, "All we want is our certificate.  We were married last weekend."  And I thought, "OK, you had a party, and you are not married."  I said you had a cultural wedding, and then I explained the three legal sentences plus a license that were needed for a marriage to be valid.  They stood there and all but patted their feet in boredom as I did the quick ceremony.

The afternoon as a whole was lovely.  We don't often get people like couple 5.  Most of our customers are happy and excited.