Changes To The Wedding Room

Original post: March 16, 2015

The decor of the Wedding Room is novel for a county office: wood paneling, dark wood benches and flower stands, and 2 large tapestries in earth tones with metallic appliques. The tapestries are hung at right angles, creating a natural place for couples to stand.  On special occasions and holidays, the clerks hang decorations.

photos courtesy Miss Janet

A few years ago, in preparation for one of the super busy days (11/11/11 or some such), the clerks wanted to make the room more festive, so a few bought a garden arch and festooned it with shiny fabric, Christmas lights, and plastic flowers.  While a little unsteady at first, it was a thing of beauty - an inspiration to commissioners and guests alike.  Each Friday, at least one or two couples said something like "Wow!  I had no idea it would be so lovely!"

For Valentine's Day, there were usually 2 more arches, each in its own meeting room-turned-wedding room.  Those arches stayed up for a few weeks after the holiday, just in case we got really busy.

Imagine my shock when I brought my first couple up last week and the arch was gone.  While the room was interesting by itself when I started at the Marriage Factory, I'd gotten used to the arch.  Without it, the room was, well, dull, like a Christmas tree without ornaments.  There's nothing wrong with a pine tree, until it's been a Christmas tree and then isn't one.

The clerks shared my dismay, for they had not been warned about the arch's removal.  Why destroy a feature that was obviously a big plus for workers and guests alike, especially something that those same workers had invested time and craft in creating?

The answer came later that day, and was as satisfactory as possible: the existing arches were cleared out to make room for sturdier, nicer arches.  One problem with the arches we had before is that they would wobble when children pulled on them, as children bored with a wedding are wont to do.  The new ones should render that issue moot.

I took this week off, so I'm hoping the new arches are in place to dazzle me upon my return.  They have quite a bit of charm to live up to.

Fashion report
A Tibetan wedding dress like this, a pink skirt with sparkly pink shoes, and a peach chiffon off-the-shoulder dress.

By the numbers (2 weeks)
Ceremonies: 13 (5 & 8)
Formal wear: 10 (3 & 7)
Crowd over 25: 1
13-day-old baby with a knit strawberry hat: 1