First Comes Love...Then Comes Marriage

Most of you know that I am a wedding planner and run a wedding & elopement planning business here on St. Simons Island. Along with planning weddings, I also officiate most of the elopements.  It is truly the best job in the world, as my clients are all in love. Most often the couples walk around in a daze and usually hear love birds cooing and have pink hearts floating in their aura. Their eyes are fixated on each other and whatever the other wants is perfectly fine. Wedded bliss is upon them. Oh, how I love people in love!


So when my phone rang last night at 11:15 pm, as I watched the Golden Globe Awards from my laptop and tweeted on Twitter, I was not too surprised that it might be someone wanting to plan a wedding. Yes, it was pretty late…..but typically, people in love do not keep up with the time.

The surprise was that planning a wedding was not at all what they had in mind…….they wanted to get married right NOW.

Me: “Now? ......Tonight?”

Him: “Yes, tonight!”

Me: “But why do you have to get married tonight?”

Him: “We are so in love….we just can’t wait any longer.”

Me: “Are you over 18? Do you have your ID? Do you have your marriage license? Are you sober? Where do you live? How long will it take you to get here?”

So after giving them the basic, “Are you sure you want to do this…20 questions deal”, I was convinced, and gave them directions to my house. I say I was convinced, but not before I hung up and called Luke to see if he was playing a joke on me. I DO have to watch my back, you know.

It was Sunday and I had been lazy all day. Napping, playing on FB, Twittering, watching a little football on TV, doing basically…… nothing……which is exactly the way I like it. Except now, I was making a mad dash for the shower while Minor straightened up the living room. I’m just glad I didn’t have to wake Minor up to help me…….because you know I would.

Before they arrived, I had time to go over the brief ceremony in my trusty little brown wedding handbook and also prepare a marriage certificate.

It was 12:45am when the couple arrived, along with the bride’s sister and best friend. They were all dressed in jeans and shirts and feeling very excited and a little giddy. I took their information and instructed everyone as to where they should stand and explained that although this was a very brief ceremony, I encouraged them to listen carefully to the vows as I read them and as they repeated them to each other.

I spoke to them of how God created and designed marriage in his wisdom to enable us to handle the difficulties of life as well as to be a source of companionship and joy…….. of how they should honor Christ and have patience and sacrifice for each other as they come to this new life together.

They were both very emotional and looked intently into each other’s eyes as they repeated their vows. They promised before God and their witnesses to be loving and faithful, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, for as long as they both shall live. Completing the ceremony, I said a prayer for God to strengthen and guide them by His Word and His Spirit that they would be faithful to Him and to each other. I then pronounced them husband and wife and they kissed.

I love my job.

Mr. & Mrs. William Joseph Harner

1/18/10

St. Simons Island, Georgia