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

Children

Original post date: September 17, 2012

A tattoo parlor (Why parlor? Why not “shop” or "emporium"?) in Alameda has a sign in the window: "If you have to come in with children, please control them."

I would like a copy of that sign for the wedding room.  Several children were part of weddings this week -some rowdy, some very well-behaved.

The centerpiece of the wedding room is the arch, a lovely garden trellis strung with plastic vines and Christmas lights.  The tables on either side of the arch used to hold bouquets before the staff discovered couples were leaving with them.  Now they sit empty, sentries for the arch.

The rowdy child spent the entire wedding fiddling with one of the tables, which at least kept him busy.  When he reached for the arch, I had to ask the parents (aka the bride & groom) to stop him. Children love to pull on things, and the arch must not be disturbed.  Luckily, the boy was distracted long enough to let me finish the ceremony.

On the other side were the couple who had 3 children between them, all of whom participated in the wedding - 2 ring-bearers and a best "man".  It was beautiful to see how happy they and the couple were to have the whole family involved in the ceremony.  The parents obviously had impressed upon them how important the wedding was and how important their part in it was.  Well done!

As a bonus, I got to train a new staff member.  She observed me performing a couple weddings, and didn't understand why I didn't need a copy of the ceremony.  "I've done 1,500 weddings," I told her.
"It's muscle memory now, and it will be for you too."

Fashion report
The bride who arrived in sweats and emerged from the ladies' room in a lovely full-length white dress to match her groom's 3-piece suit.  Clever girl - I wouldn't want to get anything on that dress, either.

Smile For The Camera

Original post date: August 12, 2012

An average day at the marriage factory - one or two typos, a few crying brides, and a couple folks struggling with cameras.

A lot of couples are surprised at how nice the wedding room is.  I think they expect a bureaucratic office with beige walls and a plain desk and file cabinet - which is exactly what the clerk's office is.

The room itself if very warm and inviting, with rich wood pew-like benches, a lovely carved podium and wall-high folky tapestries.  There is also a lovely garden arch woven with plastic vines and flowers.  Couples can imagine they're being married in a bower.

Two couples had restless kids this week.  That wouldn't be so bad if the benches didn't resound so when kicked and weren't so smooth the kids can slide back and forth across them.  I get it, though.  A wedding is very boring if you're 8 or 9 and not a part of it.  Still, can't they sit still for 10 minutes?  I used to be annoyed when parents would give a child a handheld video game to keep him distracted. Now I think the county should invest in a couple, for the sake of peace.

I don't like posing for pictures in real life.  Since I donned the robe, I would guess I've been in more than 500.  The secret to looking good in a picture is to stare directly at the lens, not at the person taking the picture.  When there are multiple cameras, swivel your head from camera to camera as best you can.

Anyone who thinks that easy photo-sharing will reduce the number of people who want to take pictures at an event is naive.  Now that everyone can be a photographer, everyone wants to be a photographer.

Fashion report
The bride wore a leopard-print knee-high dress with jet-black hair and red lipstick - totally worked.