THIS WEEK AT THE MARRIAGE FACTORY

It was slow this week in all areas of the County Clerk-Recorder's Building.  Monday I did 5 wedding ceremonies and Wednesday only 3.

The first bride on Monday was almost Beatnik looking.  She had on jeans, a tee shirt, and a baby in a sling.  On her head she had a tulle cap with lots of silk flowers, some very tiny, some the size of a teacup. In her back pocket she had a white hanky which had rows of tatting.  When we got to the wedding room, she put a linen and lace christening gown on her baby.  The bride then told me that the cap and the christening gown had been passed down through her family for over 100 years. The two items had been made by Queen Victoria's persoal seamstress.  The bride said for her somthing new, something borrowed, something blue:  the cap was old, the hanky is borrowed,  her jeans are blue, and the baby is new.  My beatnik was also a traditionalist.

One wedding the groom was military and being shipped out.  He did not wear his uniform, just black slacks and a black shirt.  She wore a patterned pink baby doll dress.  She carried a bouquet of pink and white roses that had a wired tulle double ring around them.  They looked so young and acted so young, yet they were both 30 years old.  Her father kept trying to give make decisions on the ceremony, tried to take the souvenir license before I gave it to the couple, tried to get the certified copies.  You know I didn't allow any of that.  If they are the ones marrying, they are the ones to answer my questions, and the ones legal papers are handed to. 

The next groom was 68, the bride was 50.  They had been together 15 years. She was very stoned faced and matter of fact about the wedding, this was no big deal.  He was dancing a jitterbug. Really, he was dancing.  Funny cute man.  I started the ceremony and he started dancing again.  Suddenly the bride's body relaxed and she started smiling.  What a smile it was, gorgeous.  The groom danced throughout the ceremony.  After I pronounced them married, he gave her a quick little kiss and then they just held each other and smiled. Goosebumps.

Only one traditional wedding dress this week.  The dress was long white satin, loosely form fitting, with a small train.  It had a Grecian bodice halter type front. The back had rhinestone straps that crisscrossed to just below the waist.  Well, maybe not that traditional of a dress.  But it was a true wedding dress. 

Another goosebumps' wedding.  The bride and groom were in their early 30's, he had a teenage son to witness, she had a teenage daughter to witness.  Neither had been married.  Throughout the wedding they held each other.  When I pronounced them married, he said, "WOW!" over and over and over.