Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Dispatches from the Marriage Factory: FIRE!!

Joe has news from the Marriage Factory.  Again, thanks to Joe for keeping us posted on weddings, and other events.

The big story at the marriage factory Friday morning wasn't weddings -it was fire.  A fight between two of the people who sleep in the Hall of Records entryway turned nasty, and someone set fire to the front of the building.  The recording department had to move into the area where I sit.  Normally, that space is almost empty, with all the clerks out front, helping customers.  This week, folks I'd never met with piles of papers were at every desk.  It felt claustrophobic.  Surprising how habituated one gets to an environment.

There was a wedding waiting as soon as I arrived.  The bride & groom wore flip-flops & shorts and chewed gum.  Luckily, the day got better from there.

I did more Spanish than English weddings, including a multi-lingual ceremony where the mother of the bride spoke no English and the groom spoke no Spanish.  Everyone was happy at the end.  Four of the eleven brides Friday morning had the same name. I don't think that's happened before.

Fashion report:

* A pair of blond twin boys in matching corduroy coats - adorable!

* Matching rhinestone shoes (looking ever so slightly like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hirst-Love-Of-God.jpg) and fingernails

* A cute dress & leggings that looked like they'd been dyed with potato-print

* A matching white dress and feathery hair comb

The funniest part of the morning was when I asked a couple if they would be exchanging rings.  She said, "No", and he said "Yes".  She gaped at him as he sheepishly pulled two ring boxes out of his vest pockets.  Surprise!  She was thrilled.

--
Joe Mallon

No comments: