Wednesday they asked me to help train one of the staff, Clerk Y. He had not been sworn yet as a Marriage Commissioner, he had just observed a couple of weddings. I showed him how to check a license, and most importantly to ask is everyone here. He was not as cocky as some I have helped to train, he brought a legal pad and wrote down my pearls of wisdom.
We had several types of weddings: same sex, hetero sex, bored with this, three sentences, and a double. Y was lucky to see so many types of people that come through the Marriage Factory. You need to be prepared for anything.
One wedding was two men who were in gorgeous suits. The wedding was sweet, emotional, had lots and lots of guests. But I have a question readers, what is up with leaving the brand tag stitched on the left sleeve and not picking out the stitching on the vent in the back of the coat? Lots of men do this and to me it just looks wrong. It is a new fad? Marty says they plan to take the suits back after the wedding. What do you think?
The double wedding was interesting, couple 1 was 2 women and couple 2 was 2 men. Neither couple had a witness, so they were each others witnesses. I start telling them about the types of ceremony and both couples stop me cold. They want the shortest ceremony there is, no fluff just do a quick legal ceremony. And they do not want any pictures. There is no need for any of that stuff. With great reluctance I did the three sentence ceremony as a double wedding. No kisses after the ceremony and they were ready to go.
Y commented on the difference in the feel in the room of the double wedding and the other weddings we had done. He wanted more romance too. But not our call, the couple gets the wedding they want.
Showing posts with label same sex marriage Alameda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label same sex marriage Alameda. Show all posts
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
July 1, 2013 Weddings
As promised two weeks ago, weddings on the first full day of same sex marriages. As I mentioned few people could get to us to be married because of the BART strike and the gridlock traffic. We had many volunteers and few customers. I married two couples and those two made the trouble of getting there all worthwhile for me.
Couple 1: Two grooms who had missed the window to marry in 2008. They had a wedding planned. family and friends invited, and then Prop 8 shut down same sex marriages. They were not going to miss the opportunity to be equal again. These lovely men had been together for 20 years and had a 4 year old son. One groom's parents were the witnesses. It was a really emotional lovely ceremony. Not a dry eye in the Wedding Room, not even me.
Couple 2: Two women who wanted me to use the word spouse. When I picked them up one of them asked if she had to use her legal name in the ceremony, and I said, " No. You can be called Pumpkin if you want . . . and you can call me Adorable." OK, I was just silly, but they loved it. I didn't call her Pumpkin, although her witness did. Let's say her name was Elizabeth and she wanted to be called Beth. They first wanted to just have the three legal sentences. Being me, I gave reasons why they might regret that. I suggested the Long Term Relationship ceremony that says "you have already created marriage in your hearts . . ." They loved that and that is what I used. Again this was an emotional ceremony. I took them into the Marriage Desk office to get their certified copy of the license, congratulated them and started back downstairs. As I went out the door they both yelled, "Thank you, Adorable, and you are!" I love being a Marriage Commissioner.
Wednesday I plan to be back to doing marriage ceremonies. I am hoping the discomfort and tiredness I am having after surgery will be gone by then. I miss the weddings.
Couple 1: Two grooms who had missed the window to marry in 2008. They had a wedding planned. family and friends invited, and then Prop 8 shut down same sex marriages. They were not going to miss the opportunity to be equal again. These lovely men had been together for 20 years and had a 4 year old son. One groom's parents were the witnesses. It was a really emotional lovely ceremony. Not a dry eye in the Wedding Room, not even me.
Couple 2: Two women who wanted me to use the word spouse. When I picked them up one of them asked if she had to use her legal name in the ceremony, and I said, " No. You can be called Pumpkin if you want . . . and you can call me Adorable." OK, I was just silly, but they loved it. I didn't call her Pumpkin, although her witness did. Let's say her name was Elizabeth and she wanted to be called Beth. They first wanted to just have the three legal sentences. Being me, I gave reasons why they might regret that. I suggested the Long Term Relationship ceremony that says "you have already created marriage in your hearts . . ." They loved that and that is what I used. Again this was an emotional ceremony. I took them into the Marriage Desk office to get their certified copy of the license, congratulated them and started back downstairs. As I went out the door they both yelled, "Thank you, Adorable, and you are!" I love being a Marriage Commissioner.
Wednesday I plan to be back to doing marriage ceremonies. I am hoping the discomfort and tiredness I am having after surgery will be gone by then. I miss the weddings.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
The Weddings Have Begun!
Huge wonderful surprise this afternoon. The court said no 25 day waiting period for same sex marriages, they can begin immediately. Couples raced to buy marriage licenses and the ceremonies began.
I was asked to come in on Monday and help do ceremonies. I first thought no I can't. My brother and his wife arrive Saturday (today) from Kentucky. They will be here less than a week. Marty and I talked it over. He said I should go I should be a part of this historical event. He will entertain them, luckily he likes my family. That doesn't always happen in a marriage.
So Monday, Joe our guest blogger, other volunteers, and I will be at the Marriage Factory. We will be marrying couples who have up to now been told they weren't allowed to marry. Now they are equal. It will be so emotional. It will be such a happy day. I can't wait.
I was asked to come in on Monday and help do ceremonies. I first thought no I can't. My brother and his wife arrive Saturday (today) from Kentucky. They will be here less than a week. Marty and I talked it over. He said I should go I should be a part of this historical event. He will entertain them, luckily he likes my family. That doesn't always happen in a marriage.
So Monday, Joe our guest blogger, other volunteers, and I will be at the Marriage Factory. We will be marrying couples who have up to now been told they weren't allowed to marry. Now they are equal. It will be so emotional. It will be such a happy day. I can't wait.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2008 Highlights
This week the papers were full of lists. What is in, what is out; the good things of the year and the bad; and there were even lists of things they hope will go away in 2009.
My list is simple. It is the highlights of the year for me. Some are good, some are bad. The list doesn't amount to much in the scheme of life, but it is important to me.In no particular order:
- Regular dinners and plays with Erik and Jennifer
- A cancer scare that wasn't
- The support of friends during the scare
- A new friend, Kirsten
- Developing a deeper friendship with Janet R
- Turning 65 with good friends and "little brother" Henry and his wife Ann
- Performing the first same sex marriage in Alameda County
- The election that took the right of marriage away from same sex couples
- Marrying Hank and Thom
- Marrying Sean and Rojan
- Richard's and Luis' wonderful friendship and gift of the "guest house"
- Seeing Karl and Debby after 2 1/2 years
- Family(Lee and Phil, Karen, Keith and Kaus) coming for Christmas
- The economy destroying our retirement funds
- Friends
- My wonderful husband, Marty
Happy New Year.
Monday, October 27, 2008
I think I need to explain the name of my blog. I marry couples at the Alameda County Recorder's building. I have the beginnings of their stories, I marry them. And then they walk out the door. I never will know if they are happy, if the ones who have been married 8 times will make it. I don't know if the marry for immigration couples get caught and someone gets deported. I have beginnings, no endings.
Today from 1:20 until 4:40 I performed 10 weddings. For the day 37 weddings were performed. Most of the weddings were same sex marriages. In one week we will have an election that will decide again if same sex marriage is legal. Because of this, couples are rushing to marry in case this civil right is taken away from them.
This blog will be about what is going on in my life. It may be about cooking supper, going to the grocery, or working with my first graders. I may share recipes, vent about the rude people in line at the store, or tell you about some weird TV show. This is a senior citizen's life. Some days are great, some not so great.
To close, one story. Yesterday my husband, Marty, and I attended a brunch. This brunch lasted 9 hours. We may be senior citizens but we still know how to party. Three couples, each bringing wine and part of the meal. The food was spectacular, the wines were outstanding, and the company great. But the best part of this brunch, we carved pumpkins. We had battery operated knives, little knives, and wine. AND did I mention there were prizes. This group is like family. But we cheated, bad mouthed each other, there were prizes involved. Bribes were offered to the judge, we sweet talked the judges, and we bad mouthed the judges. Did I mention there were prizes? This was fun. Good clean childish fun. And it made a perfect Sunday afternoon. Oh, Marty and I won Campiest Jack O Lantern. We got a prize.
Today from 1:20 until 4:40 I performed 10 weddings. For the day 37 weddings were performed. Most of the weddings were same sex marriages. In one week we will have an election that will decide again if same sex marriage is legal. Because of this, couples are rushing to marry in case this civil right is taken away from them.
This blog will be about what is going on in my life. It may be about cooking supper, going to the grocery, or working with my first graders. I may share recipes, vent about the rude people in line at the store, or tell you about some weird TV show. This is a senior citizen's life. Some days are great, some not so great.
To close, one story. Yesterday my husband, Marty, and I attended a brunch. This brunch lasted 9 hours. We may be senior citizens but we still know how to party. Three couples, each bringing wine and part of the meal. The food was spectacular, the wines were outstanding, and the company great. But the best part of this brunch, we carved pumpkins. We had battery operated knives, little knives, and wine. AND did I mention there were prizes. This group is like family. But we cheated, bad mouthed each other, there were prizes involved. Bribes were offered to the judge, we sweet talked the judges, and we bad mouthed the judges. Did I mention there were prizes? This was fun. Good clean childish fun. And it made a perfect Sunday afternoon. Oh, Marty and I won Campiest Jack O Lantern. We got a prize.
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