I haven't figured out if there is an actual correlation between holidays and wedding traffic. Christmas is busy, New year's Eve not. Halloween is a crap shoot. Easter Eve Eve Day, at least this year, was quite busy. I needed a runner by 11 AM: 4 licenses on the desk → 4 weddings done → still 4 licenses on the desk. I served 2 very large crowds and and thee were couples arriving as I left.
Advice for Parents: if you want your child's wedding to go well, let your child plan that wedding and be a happy guest. Don't order everyone around and especially don't stand next to the couple during the ceremony glaring at the officiant. That just looks creepy.
On the other end of the family spectrum were the uncontrolled children. I can handle one toddler who tears around the wedding room yelling. I'm even OK with two in a row. There were three separate couples with runaways youngsters, one of whom punched his father the groom in the stomach during the vows. Luckily, tiny fists don't hurt that much.
There were a few folks from "away", including a bride who'd flown 23 hours the day before just to get to the Bay Area in time for her wedding and a guest dropping in from Dubai to server as the only witness for her friends. That's dedication.
Fashion report
So much purple! It took until the second couple with a purple theme for me to make the connection to Easter. One bride wore a white dress with purple lipstick and purple flowers in her bouquet. Most of the large crowd wore a shade of purple, including grape, lilac, and lavender.
The award for best gear of the day goes to the bride with the blue top and orange skirt whose groom wore an orange shirt and blue jeans. Her bodice had a design of origami cranes forming and flying away - very clever!
By The Numbers
Ceremonies: 14
Formal wear: 9
"As long as I will": 1
Misbehaving child wearing dapper-looking three-piece suit: 1
Showing posts with label groups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label groups. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Bring Your Friends!
Original post: March 4, 2015
As an amateur social scientist, I theorize that the size of a wedding party in no way correlates to the success of the marriage. My wife & I were married in front of 4 people. My cousin was married in front of almost 100 people. I'm still married. She is not. Kim & Kanye are still together. Scatter-plot that all you want. I bet nothing lines up.
Admittedly, my sample, though voluminous, is skewed. Our wedding room holds only 40 people, and most couples don't even know we have a wedding room. The number of times I've heard, "Oh, this is so nice! We had no idea the room would be so cute!" as we enter testifies to that. Still, enough know or have squadrons of friends to offer at least some anecdotal data as to the effect of a crowd on the wedding itself.
Large groups present a wrangling challenge that the couple-plus-single-witness model does not. Getting all those folks into one elevator (or even several), herding them into the wedding room, getting all cell phones silenced, and making sure the couple stays the focus of attention - it all takes work. The payoff is the eruption of applause when the ceremony concludes and the couple are actually married. That release of energy is captivating.
So bring as many friends as you want! We can pack people in, and there's plenty of seating space. Just make sure your guests have met beforehand, as those benches can get pretty tight.
Fashion report
Today was all about coral: coral shoes and camisole vs. a coral blazer for one couple, and a coral strapless dress with brand new high heels (we lent a pair of scissors to cut off the tag). The last bride wore a teal blouse with a peplum, and matching teal shoes. Guess it's Southwestern palette day.
By the numbers
Ceremonies: 11
Formal wear: 6
Weddings with more than one official photographer: 1
As an amateur social scientist, I theorize that the size of a wedding party in no way correlates to the success of the marriage. My wife & I were married in front of 4 people. My cousin was married in front of almost 100 people. I'm still married. She is not. Kim & Kanye are still together. Scatter-plot that all you want. I bet nothing lines up.
Admittedly, my sample, though voluminous, is skewed. Our wedding room holds only 40 people, and most couples don't even know we have a wedding room. The number of times I've heard, "Oh, this is so nice! We had no idea the room would be so cute!" as we enter testifies to that. Still, enough know or have squadrons of friends to offer at least some anecdotal data as to the effect of a crowd on the wedding itself.
Large groups present a wrangling challenge that the couple-plus-single-witness model does not. Getting all those folks into one elevator (or even several), herding them into the wedding room, getting all cell phones silenced, and making sure the couple stays the focus of attention - it all takes work. The payoff is the eruption of applause when the ceremony concludes and the couple are actually married. That release of energy is captivating.
So bring as many friends as you want! We can pack people in, and there's plenty of seating space. Just make sure your guests have met beforehand, as those benches can get pretty tight.
Fashion report
Today was all about coral: coral shoes and camisole vs. a coral blazer for one couple, and a coral strapless dress with brand new high heels (we lent a pair of scissors to cut off the tag). The last bride wore a teal blouse with a peplum, and matching teal shoes. Guess it's Southwestern palette day.
By the numbers
Ceremonies: 11
Formal wear: 6
Weddings with more than one official photographer: 1
Hoppin' New Year!
Original post: January 6, 2015
New Year's Eve at the Marriage Factory was surprisingly tame in the wake of Monday and Tuesday's 30 weddings apiece . Imagine my surprise when Friday was busier than ever! My average is 8-10 weddings; this week, I did 16.
The largest group was about 35 people - 2 elevators' worth. Once they arrived, everything went fine, although the groom went with "I will be true to you as long as I will", not "as long as I live". Usually when the bride catches that, she is not happy.
There were 2 or 3 nervous brides. One swiveled back and forth during the vows, making me almost say "Grow gently with each other and do the twist" instead of "encourage each other".
Fashion report
Lots of well-dressed folks this time around. Vests, coats, and beautiful dresses abounded. A few were even color-coordinated. There was a groom in the top half of a suit whose bride was wearing what looked like the suit trousers. Per the title of Miss Janet's blog, let's not speculate about what that means.
By the numbers
Ceremonies: 16
Formal wear (suit/dress): 6
Recruited witness from other couple in lobby: 1 (3 counting New Year's Eve)
Crowd larger than 30: 1
"As long as I will": 1
New Year's Eve at the Marriage Factory was surprisingly tame in the wake of Monday and Tuesday's 30 weddings apiece . Imagine my surprise when Friday was busier than ever! My average is 8-10 weddings; this week, I did 16.
The largest group was about 35 people - 2 elevators' worth. Once they arrived, everything went fine, although the groom went with "I will be true to you as long as I will", not "as long as I live". Usually when the bride catches that, she is not happy.
There were 2 or 3 nervous brides. One swiveled back and forth during the vows, making me almost say "Grow gently with each other and do the twist" instead of "encourage each other".
Fashion report
Lots of well-dressed folks this time around. Vests, coats, and beautiful dresses abounded. A few were even color-coordinated. There was a groom in the top half of a suit whose bride was wearing what looked like the suit trousers. Per the title of Miss Janet's blog, let's not speculate about what that means.
By the numbers
Ceremonies: 16
Formal wear (suit/dress): 6
Recruited witness from other couple in lobby: 1 (3 counting New Year's Eve)
Crowd larger than 30: 1
"As long as I will": 1
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
The Big Party
Original post date: October 5, 2013
It's a little unsettling to look into a crowded lobby, see what looks like at least 2 parties, and call a pair of names, only to see everyone in sight move toward you. The guests couldn't have been nicer, even offering each other places on the first ride up. Two stuffed elevators later, the wedding room was full to bursting, and everyone had a camera. The couple finally moved into place, and we had a lovely ceremony. Luckily, the next couple didn't mind waiting a bit as even more pictures were taken.
Later in the day, there was another big crowd, just as happy and just as fotophilic (as opposed to photophilic - responding well to light - not me in the morning!), flashing away before, during, and after the ceremony. The couple had been together for many years, and the guests wanted to capture every moment of the big day.
And a child shall lead them. Or at least watch. For the first time, both of the witnesses (and only guests) for a wedding were children. They were about 8 and 10. The state says that anyone who can sign his name can witness a wedding, so everything was on the up-and-up. The kids were excited about seeing their parents marry after many years together. There were tears and hugs, a few signatures, and off they went for a well-deserved round of ice cream.
It's a little unsettling to look into a crowded lobby, see what looks like at least 2 parties, and call a pair of names, only to see everyone in sight move toward you. The guests couldn't have been nicer, even offering each other places on the first ride up. Two stuffed elevators later, the wedding room was full to bursting, and everyone had a camera. The couple finally moved into place, and we had a lovely ceremony. Luckily, the next couple didn't mind waiting a bit as even more pictures were taken.
Later in the day, there was another big crowd, just as happy and just as fotophilic (as opposed to photophilic - responding well to light - not me in the morning!), flashing away before, during, and after the ceremony. The couple had been together for many years, and the guests wanted to capture every moment of the big day.
And a child shall lead them. Or at least watch. For the first time, both of the witnesses (and only guests) for a wedding were children. They were about 8 and 10. The state says that anyone who can sign his name can witness a wedding, so everything was on the up-and-up. The kids were excited about seeing their parents marry after many years together. There were tears and hugs, a few signatures, and off they went for a well-deserved round of ice cream.
A Grand Affair
Original post date: October 19, 2012
During the standard ceremony I perform, I ask the bride & groom to join hands. What should the bride do when she's already holding a bouquet? I don't think there's a right answer. Some keep it, the groom wrapping his fingers around the stem and hers. Others hand it to a witness, seeming to regret having brought it in the first place. Readers, what do you think?
I had the most elaborate wedding ever this week. The couple wanted a traditional processional. The groom's best man and groomsmen stood by him. There were three flower girls - luckily, their title was ceremonial; no petals to clean up afterwards - and a 2 or 3-year-old ring-bearer in a 3-piece suit. As the bride prepared to walk down the aisle, one of the witnesses played the wedding march on her phone. After the ceremony, many pictures were taken.
For the first time I can remember (although I'm sure not the first time ever), all the couples were first-timers - none had been married before. Considering how much planning went into the large wedding, I suspect it will be the only one for them.
During the standard ceremony I perform, I ask the bride & groom to join hands. What should the bride do when she's already holding a bouquet? I don't think there's a right answer. Some keep it, the groom wrapping his fingers around the stem and hers. Others hand it to a witness, seeming to regret having brought it in the first place. Readers, what do you think?
I had the most elaborate wedding ever this week. The couple wanted a traditional processional. The groom's best man and groomsmen stood by him. There were three flower girls - luckily, their title was ceremonial; no petals to clean up afterwards - and a 2 or 3-year-old ring-bearer in a 3-piece suit. As the bride prepared to walk down the aisle, one of the witnesses played the wedding march on her phone. After the ceremony, many pictures were taken.
For the first time I can remember (although I'm sure not the first time ever), all the couples were first-timers - none had been married before. Considering how much planning went into the large wedding, I suspect it will be the only one for them.
The Force Is Strong With This One
Original post date: August 7, 2012
This week was another busy one at the marriage factory. Miss Janet already described the media swarm that engulfed our little office a couple weeks ago.
The only anecdote I can add is the couple who had attended the same high school years ago. The bride had asked the groom to the prom and he had declined. To make matters better/worse, he did not remember that until a friend of the soon-to-be bride brought it to his attention - after the couple had started dating for a while. Luckily, the bride had a good sense of humor, and the groom certainly seemed to regret his earlier decision.
There was a couple with a large party waiting when the doors opened. I hadn't arrived; luckily, we have an enthusiastic intern who loves doing weddings. From then on, the couples kept coming.
Some highlights:
The couple was in their 60s and their ceremony was in Spanish. They were so in love they began kissing before the vows were done. No worries about those two.
The bride and groom were 30 years apart in age. He was dapper in a pin-stripe suit and she lovely in a purple dress. She was trembling throughout the ceremony, and couldn't wait to hug her new husband.
Since Miss Janet occasionally focuses on fashion, I will do the same. The bride wore a STAR WARS T-shirt pattern on a mini dress, even though she was born after RETURN OF THE JEDI came out. No one mentioned it. She also had a flower in her hair. Coolest thing ever.
This week was another busy one at the marriage factory. Miss Janet already described the media swarm that engulfed our little office a couple weeks ago.
The only anecdote I can add is the couple who had attended the same high school years ago. The bride had asked the groom to the prom and he had declined. To make matters better/worse, he did not remember that until a friend of the soon-to-be bride brought it to his attention - after the couple had started dating for a while. Luckily, the bride had a good sense of humor, and the groom certainly seemed to regret his earlier decision.
There was a couple with a large party waiting when the doors opened. I hadn't arrived; luckily, we have an enthusiastic intern who loves doing weddings. From then on, the couples kept coming.
Some highlights:
The couple was in their 60s and their ceremony was in Spanish. They were so in love they began kissing before the vows were done. No worries about those two.
The bride and groom were 30 years apart in age. He was dapper in a pin-stripe suit and she lovely in a purple dress. She was trembling throughout the ceremony, and couldn't wait to hug her new husband.
Since Miss Janet occasionally focuses on fashion, I will do the same. The bride wore a STAR WARS T-shirt pattern on a mini dress, even though she was born after RETURN OF THE JEDI came out. No one mentioned it. She also had a flower in her hair. Coolest thing ever.
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