And now a word from Joe

I recruited Joe Mallon as a Marriage Commissioner several years ago.  Well, really I asked his wife and she said thanks, but no thanks.  Joe was all but jumping up and down, pick me, pick me.  Staff loves him.  Joe is on time and there every week.  He speaks English and Spanish.  He can move the couples in and out quickly yet in a gracious manner.  He is good. 

Joe’s wife writes a blog and he guests blogs on that sometimes.  He asked if he could guest blog for me.  I am honored to be asked.  I am proud to present his first guest blog on I Have No Endings.  

Take it away Joe . . .

Does age matter?  The first couple were 20 years apart, but obviously in love.  The groom had not expected the ceremony to be so moving.  He even asked for a copy of it.

The second couple was the opposite - both young, the bride chewed gum, the groom put a no-doubt-intended-for-ironic-effect pause between "lawfully wedded" and "wife".  They both laughed during the vows, and
not the nervous laughter that occasionally comes out as tears.

A word about cameras: Can't someone get cameras so they all work the same?  So much time is taken up with a bride or groom teaching a witness how to use the phone camera.  Also, how about a longer pause before the picture disappears from the viewscreen?  The current time is just enough for me to take the picture  (which I offer to do for groups) and almost get the camera into someone's hands.  It goes like this: *snap*, step step step, "take a look", fumble with camera trying to get back to the image that was visible 1.5 seconds ago.

The most interesting clothing of the morning was a bride who wore a mid-thigh trench coat.  I tend to get more conservatively-dressed folks than Janet, so the young lady's attire made me a little nervous.  However, when she took off the coat, she was wearing a lovely shoulderless white dress with beading, appropriately cut.  To make things even more enjoyable, the witnesses were twins with the same name except for one letter, like Eddie and Teddy, both also  well-dressed.  An altogether pleasant experience.