And now the weddings...

I sat in the car and watched three gentlemen dressed in suits, pink bow ties and black converse sneakers walk by. They were headed toward the elaborate venue surrounded by three fountains, two gazebos, an expanse of green grass and multiple varieties of colorful flowers.  The Winds is the location of the wedding I will be performing in 30 minutes.

Two more similarly clad young men strolled by, one carrying a baby.  I decided it is time to join the crowd and confirm the marriage license is complete and all details are within the proper time allotment.  I walked up to the knot of black suits and asked to speak with Tim. Tim and I have been communicating by email and phone for the past week.

He called in a panic on Sunday at 9 pm, his JP had canceled and the wedding is scheduled for Friday the 13th in Brandon, an hour and 15 minutes away.  I was recommended by his friend and my cousin, Peter. I agreed to do the ceremony explaining that I would have to charge for the extra mileage. He gratefully accepted and he spelled out the details. I put together a draft and emailed it an hour later providing the couple time to review and make changes to the words that will change their lives, during the week.

Today is Friday, wedding day, and I was directed to Tim, a good looking young man with a beer in his hand. I asked for the license and he looked startled. He quickly regained his composure and said Melissa has it.  Knowing that the bride was not yet there, I went to the lobby to wait for the limo carrying the girls. 

The limo pulled up and the groom's dad runs to greet them. Come to find out, they had his suit.  I waited inside for the bride and as she was preparing to go upstairs  I asked her for the license.  A look of horror flitted across her face as she replied that Tim has it. I quickly apologised and said, "I will find Tim."

I returned to the garden to look for the groom.  Tim and his groomsmen were in the garden, along with two month old Ben, in his tuxedo onesie.  The baby, as part of the wedding party, just slept.  Tim turned to me and said, "The license is with my passports, in my suitcase, locked in the hotel room."  I let him know that we cannot perform the ceremony without the license in hand.  "Oh, I understand," he replied, "My dad just went to get it. The hotel is just across the street."

The next update included a report that the security lock on the hotel door fell into place as the groom slammed the door as he left the room. "It's on the way," he states again.  I went back to the lobby and Jeff, the wedding planner handed my two pink gerber daisies.  He asked that I have the new bride and groom give the flowers to the moms. I smiled and said, "sure, how sweet."

I returned to the men, waiting for the license so the ceremony could begin. The latest news is that the door is being taken off the hinges to allow someone to grab the license. The groom reassured me that the hotel was just across the street and that we can begin momentarily. 

By this point Jeff has brought the groomsmen each a scotch and a bucket of beer to use as a chasers. as the clouds came rolling in.  The license arrived, the ceremony went smoothly, I escaped with license in hand, leaving another happily married couple behind.