My Last Friday at the Marriage Factory

I said Friday was my last time, but I bet Joe travels in the future.  Hey Joe, I am ready, willing, and able to cover for you anytime.  Now that Joe has had a long long working vacation, maybe he will start blogging again.  Friday was slow for a Friday.   There were a lot of ceremonies but not back to back as there usually are. 

A clerk came to tell me a couple was upstairs waiting on me. Why tell me that?  Couples are not to go upstairs without a commissioner.  No one had brought me license, I can't do anything without a license.  The Marriage Desk Clerk sent them downstairs.  I was given their license and we went upstairs.  I teased the couple that they were eager to get married and they said they were.  Both the groom and the bride were in black and white.  The groom out dressed the bride.  He wore a three piece suit, pearl white shirt, and a black and white tie.  Very striking.

Clerk  G handed me a license and warned me the groom was weird. She thought it was an immigration wedding.  She also thought the groom was on something.  I think she was right.  He was almost bug eyed.  He was hyper, abrupt, and a little scary.  His bride was a seemingly timid Asian.  He gripped her hands hard during the ceremony, stared intensely at her during the vows, hitting key words hard. ( promise, forsaking, love, comfort).  As weird as he was I finally decided they were a love match.  He would rub her hand with his thumb, and she would smile up at him.  After the ceremony they kissed and hugged in a loving way. 

As long as I have been doing marriage ceremonies I still get surprised by what people say and do.  When we give a couple their certified copy of the license, if there is a name change we tell them steps they need to take.  One or both persons marrying may change their names.   I explained to a bride to first go to Social Security, then to DMV, and lastly to change her name on her passport.  She said she hadn't changed her name, she had only hyphenated her name.  Uh, that is a name change.  When she left she was still protesting she had hyphenated so she wouldn't have to go to Social Security etc.