Little Wedding Stories

We were meeting with a couple for a Sunday afternoon tour for their wedding eight months away. It is actually pretty normal for a couple to secure their location at least one year in advance but for our little chapel we were more accustomed to couples scheduling a wedding one week to three months away so we were not expecting this couple to book today as their wedding but we nonetheless were looking forward to meeting with them.

Tony and Barbara arrived promptly and were such a lovely couple. We gave them the full tour of the chapel and they were so thrilled with what they saw. Barbara was happy with the ceremonial parlor and bridal dressing room and Tony was happy as long as Barbara was happy. It is always heart warming when a couple tours our location and after meeting with us light up.

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A few days later, we met with another couple that also wanted to get married on Valentine’s Day. Fortunately for them, the Red Handprint Marauder’s mother and fiancée had cancelled, and we had an opening. It seemed the original group found a larger location to accommodate their event (and, one hopes, a location with access to a thorough cleaning service).

Our scheduled couple, though, was running late. Most couples never bothered to cancel their tours if they weren’t going to make it, nor would they call to let us know that they were running late. Many times, we found ourselves patiently waiting for tours that never showed.  That’s part of the business, however frustrating it may be. Soon, though, the chapel doorbell rang, and our potential clients had arrived.

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The bride and groom were having a unity candle ceremony. The wedding opened with the moms walking down the aisle and lighting the individual candles to signify the beginning of the ceremony. Gary, Patrick, and the groomsmen took their positions in the parlor under the arch. I cued the bridesmaids to enter one at a time to the first CD, finishing with bride’s father walking her down the aisle to give her away. Kelly wore a gorgeous strapless white gown with full veil, and had a lush bouquet of soft pink roses and peonies. The ceremony was flawless.

As the guests mingled and ate cookies, the photographer took the photos. When the couple was ready, we prepared the paperwork and laid it out on the lacy tablecloth surrounded by accent corsages. We knew this would provide for a wonderful photo-op. The families thanked us for everything we did for them, and the bride and groom sped off to their honeymoon. On the way out, the groom’s father slipped Gary a much appreciated tip.

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Kelly and Patrick arrived by way of limousine, and family and friends followed. The bride and groom were both extremely nervous. One of the moms had several corsages and boutonnières made for the event, in addition to a gorgeous bridal bouquet for Kelly. We had two flower girls, so each was able to carry one of our flower baskets filled with pre-selected pink silk rose petals (we always provided the flower girl baskets and a selection of silk rose petals for our couples, as real petals would stain and grind into the carpet).

The moms helped the groom and his groomsmen put on their boutonnières, but when it came to the corsages, they encountered a small problem. If you attempt to pin a heavy floral corsage to sheer or silk fabric, sagging results. Gary quickly jumped to action and located our backup, pearl-tipped, heavy-duty pins, thus saving the day.

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We had setup the reception area prior to photos, and all that was needed was to bring out the punch and have the traditional cutting of the cake. Gary was our official, unofficial cake cutter; he’s such a pro at getting the maximum number of slices possible out of a ten inch cake! We learned over the years, too, that certain types of cakes and fillings cut easier than others (for the record, chocolate cake and truffle filling are the toughest with which to work). I am happy to do the serving and the cleanup. Our punch, a family recipe called “In The Clouds Punch,” is always a big hit. The clamoring crowds can’t get enough, and our most popular flavor is vanilla-raspberry. Children, of course, always fill their own cups as full as possible. Inevitably, drops spill as they try so carefully, yet unsuccessfully, to hold it as they walk.

Back to the wedding; as the guests mingled and ate cake, we cleared dishes and refilled cups with punch and coffee. Everyone seemed to be having a truly good time. Paperwork was signed and kids finally went off with grandparents. We walked our bride and groom out, helping to carry the remaining gifts and keepsakes. We wished them the best and off they went.

Two down, and one to go.

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Our second event of the day was considerably larger. It was a wedding and reception package for Tracy, Vern, and forty of their friends and family members. The interesting part was that it was a second marriage for both. Additionally, Vern had eight kids and Tracy had two, for a grand total of ten kids! We always politely stressed to our couples that we do not provide babysitting services, and that they must have an adult assigned to monitor the children. Vern had remained in good contact with his ex-wife, and she was invited to the wedding. She did not, however, think that she should take care of her children, and let them run wild. For this event, no one was interested in monitoring the children, so despite our usual policy, Gary and I had to don babysitting hats in addition to taking care of our bride, groom, and grown-up guests.

By the end of the wedding, we had torn decorations, torn wallpaper, spilled hair spray and makeup, as well as the littlest children locking themselves in the bathroom, or trying to run across the street with heavy traffic.

We sure had our hands full!

Gary was the minister for this wedding, and performed a beautiful ceremony for the couple, complete with unity candles and a prayer. Tracy wore a pretty white wedding dress. The littlest child insisted on being the center of attention during the ceremony, and was talking, yelling, crying, and walking up and down in front of his parents. It was their day, though, and if they didn’t mind, we certainly didn’t mind. Gary helpfully posed the wedding party for photos, as had become his purview, and the couple was very grateful.

It’s kind of funny, actually, that while most large weddings have a self-proclaimed “professional” photographer present, they are usually a family member or friend. When it comes down to it, a professional lacks the bond to be as adept at posing the couple and their family to capture the best, most natural pictures. We were there, as always, to help make the day perfect, no matter what it takes.

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It was March 20^th, the first day of spring, and we had received many calls from couples who wanted to reserve this day. Several events were booked, so we knew it was going to be busy and fast moving, with lots of brides, grooms, and families! Some dates are reliable favorites, like Valentine’s Day and the major holidays (we do multiple weddings on Christmas Day every year). Others become very popular, and while you don’t know why, every couple wants them.

We started the day with a petite wedding scheduled for around ten in the morning at the chapel. It consisted of the bride, groom, sister, brother-in-law, and a gaggle of small children. This group did not come to tour the location prior to booking their event. Instead, they simply called to schedule it, sight unseen. We made sure they had their wedding license and then gladly reserved their slot. It was around nine in the morning when we arrived to setup trays of cookies and water pitchers (each non-reception event was provided with a variety of cookies and beverages served on our crystal trays and pitchers) to be enjoyed after the ceremony. We found that this amenity was especially helpful for our guests and their children during the photo sessions, which could last a long time.

The wedding party arrived shortly after we did, and the women rushed upstairs to the bridal dressing room to get ready. The groom was quite nervous, so Gary talked to him to help him feel more comfortable. Gary asked standard questions, such as who it was that had the rings, and demonstrated the manner in which the groom would take his bride’s hand to slip the ring on her finger. For the majority of weddings we performed, it was surprising to learn how many grooms did not have any idea of how to place the ring on the bride’s finger. Most grooms would pick the wrong hand during the ceremony, and immediately feel uncomfortable as this foible had just been preserved on videotape and photograph. To avoid this moment of discomfort, Gary would chat with the grooms prior to their ceremonies, and diplomatically instruct them as to their role.

While Gary put the groom at ease, I chatted with the bride. She quickly decided she would like to have me perform their marriage, which I was more than happy to do. She didn’t want a long ceremony, preferring instead something “short and sweet.” Some couples and their families are very firm about either having a male or female marry them, while some had no preference. We always asked our couples if they preferred a male (Gary) or a female (me) as we were both going to be present either way; one would be their minister and the other would be the event’s coordinator. 

So far, it seemed like a standard ceremony. What we didn’t know was that the bride’s sister would surprise us… more than once.

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Part 1

It was a lovely late fall afternoon. The sun was shining and there was a soft breeze blowing outside. It was neither too warm nor too cold, and the trees were well into their red, brown, and gold foliage colors. It was a perfect day for our very first event. A couple was renewing their vows, with their two daughters. This was also our first day of ownership of our new chapel.

Our location is a turn-of-the-century house with lots of old-fashioned character. It is decorated in a very light and bright Victorian cottage chic fashion; a perfect fit for the era of the home. The previous owners were still in the process of moving their personal belongings out of the location, but had booked a vow-renewal ceremony for that day. As they were not going to officiate over the vow renewals, that left the duty to us at the very last moment.

Gary and I arrived and brought with us our minister attire. In our haste to unpack the car, we had left Gary’s dress shoes on the back porch. As we carried our items inside to ready ourselves for our first event, we hit our first snag. As it turns out, a passer-by helped himself to Gary’s dress shoes, right off the porch! That meant Gary would now have to wear the shoes he arrived in, his tennis shoes, for our first ceremony. There was Gary, dressed in his Giorgio Armani finery and wearing tennis shoes—it was sad and hysterical at the same time!

We chatted with the couple prior to their changing clothes in preparation for their ceremony. Having a genuine interest in our clients’ stories is a part of our repertoire, as it creates a trusting and friendly bond with the couple.

While we talked with the couple, we learned the fascinating story behind their decision to renew their vows.

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