Weddings

Many clergy resonate with the statement "I'd rather do a funeral than a wedding any day."

I've only done a few weddings and my last one was a doosey. The bride at this wedding was more concerned about the flowers, the dresses, how everything looked. She wanted me to rush through the ceremony so that the horse and buggy that she came in on could stay on the street during the ceremony (my town has a twenty minute limit on horse and buggy parking). That wedding was all show and no substance. I have no idea if the couple is together but it was the fairy tale wedding that the bride wanted.

Today I am presiding over a wedding that I am just thrilled and honored to be a part of. The bride and groom are in their forties, first time marriage for both. They grew up in our church and have been members of our church all along. They wanted to do the wedding at our church because spirituality is very important to them and the spiritual aspects of the wedding take precedence over the ephemeral parts of the wedding.

The rehearsal yesterday was fun! There was lots of laughter and joy. The groom teared up as we practiced the vows and I almost cried I was so touched. This is a wedding that I cannot wait to participate in. This morning I am nervous because I really want the wedding to be special for this couple and I don't want to flub up during the ceremony. I know it's God that will be joining them in marriage but I am the channel. God help me to be eloquent today.