Dear Engaged Couple:
It’s Labor Day and it’s time for another blog posting! I cannot tell you how loathe I am to research a topic, or interview a florist or photographer on this holiday.Too much work! Rather than subject my poor soul to that much labor, on this day of rest, I thought, instead, I would fill you in on what I do hours before your wedding. I know what YOU do before your wedding, pretty much, anyway. If you are the soon-to-be-bride, you spend your wedding day morning taking care of those last minute details—getting a manicure, maybe; making a trip to the hairdresser; sitting still while a makeup artist carefully applies your mascara and blush. You probably arrive at the venue in the early afternoon for some picture taking If you are the soon-to-be-groom, in the morning before your wedding, you are making nice with relatives, and trying to keep your out-of-town groomsmen entertained. Maybe you go out to a late brunch, and pack for your honeymoon. Then, like the bride, you head over to the venue for picture taking.
The morning of your wedding, I am at home. If you had a rehearsal the day before, I have already printed off the text of your wedding service and put it in my black notebook. So,on your wedding day I just read over the service, once, twice, and also any hand-scrawled notes I made at the rehearsal (i.e., “Mother of the br. will be escorted by Unc. Harry.” ) I have pockets in my notebook. I make sure to fold a few tissues and slide these into one; if you will be reading your vows, I have printed these off. I make sure that these are in another notebook pocket. If someone other than me will be doing a reading, I make sure I have a copy of it in a third notebook pocket, just in case the reader leaves his own back at the hotel.
Then, I load my car. Now, you would think, “What does an officiant possibly need in order to officiate, except the text of the service, the vows, and some tissues?” Actually, there is a fair amount of other“stuff.” If this is a religious wedding, I will check my robe for dust and spots, and then hang that in my car—ditto for the stole which is white and a dirt and grease magnet (grumble, grumble). I test my sound system, and recharge the batteries if necessary. And, sometimes I bring a music stand with me, which can serve as a podium if I want my hands to be relatively free during the service—for gesturing, or holding a handheld mike.
At a wedding at which I officiated on Saturday, I talked with a professional speaker, or is that, orator (he’s President of the Farm Bureau) ? He actually has a STAFF to take care of his speaking needs (sound system, prompter, manuscript). I am envious.
Finally, I bring my camera and my iphone, so that I can take pics of your wedding. With your permission, I often post pictures of you and your wedding on various social media sites.
If the wedding is outside, I grab sunglasses and bug spray as I head out the door to drive to your venue.
Oh, yes, and rarely, if the weather is fine, I bring my dog Pepper with me. She waits in the car while I do my thing. Then, after the “I do’s” and the picture-taking, we ride off to a nearby park to commune with nature, while YOU are feted by family and friends. After all the busy-ness of the day, it’s nice to take a breather.
Not a bad day, all in all.
Your Wedding Preacher for Hire
p.s. Credit goes to David Abel Photography for the awesome featured picture of a
wedding at Maymont’s Italian Gardens, Richmond, VA
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