Thursday, 05 July 2012
I spent all my free time today finishing up preparations for two (yep, two) wedding ceremonies I will be performing this weekend.
It was tough to find free time – especially at work. I had a very busy day at work (see my last post) and, when I thought I’d have some free time during lunch, a co-worker invited me to dine with him. I could have said no, but I try not to be anti-social, despite its overwhelming appeal.
This evening, I tried to work on my services (sermons? presentations? talks?), but this is quite a tough feat with two children that demand everything from me, and then ask for a little more. I nevertheless managed to get everything together – with the exception of a couple points of clarification I need from one of the brides – and now I can get to sleep and just practice them like crazy tomorrow.
Friday, 06 July 2012
This evening I attended the rehearsal of wedding #1. The wedding is set to be outdoors. If the wedding was today, an outdoor wedding would be most uncomfortable. On my way to the rehearsal, the voice on MPR said it was 102 degrees (I presume he meant Fahrenheit, though he did not specify). “Ugh,” I said, thinking about how uncomfortable the rehearsal was going to be with my button/collared shirt and khakis on. But then the guy said relief was on the way – and he cited (I guess as evidence) that it’s only 68 degrees in Bemidji. He then said rains were coming and tomorrow’s temps would be 15 degrees cooler.
So…yeah…then rehearsal was outside, which, I suppose, makes sense, because why rehearse on-site if you’re not gonna be at the actual site. I was pleased to see that they decided to stick a piece of tape down on the ground where I would be standing. This is great news because I would walk up to the front before anyone else and if I stood in the wrong spot, then conceivably, so would everyone else. Otherwise, it was really hot out there.
When I got back in the car to drive home, I first turned the air on full blast. I took off my shirt, shoes, and socks. After driving about 4 miles, I noticed it was actually too cold in the car, so I turned the air down…and then I turned it off. Soon thereafter, it began raining. Getting out of my car when I got home, the air was noticeably cooler. It felt great.
Saturday, 07 July 2012
Today was wedding #1.
As I said earlier, it was definitely cooler outside, though still hot. In fact, early on in the ceremony, I commended the bride and groom on getting married on the first day all month that I even wanted to be outside. The only problem with the wedding (in my opinion, at least) was that I was facing the sun.
The sun was just sitting there, in the near-cloudless sky, just above my line of sight. I couldn’t wear sunglasses. I tried squinting as often as I could and a couple times during the ceremony I noticed I had one eye closed in an attempt to block out the sun. Then I realized I should probably forced my eyelids open. I also realized that no one else was experiencing the same problem – because they all had their back to the sun. Lucky them. Anyway, I managed to get through it without inducing either a bona fide bright-light or hypochondriac headache.
On the way home, I again removed my shoes and socks. Maybe this is getting to be a trend for me. I also blasted the album SMiLE and sang along with full gusto because, you know, my nerves had just abated by half.
Sunday, 08 July 2012
Today was wedding #2.
Did I mention they were both outside?
Today’s wedding was in the shade, so that was good.
Afterward, the mini-reception was held at Stephano’s Bistro in Burnsville, an establishment I henceforth whole-heartily endorse. Looking at their website, I see they opened their doors the same year I moved out of Burnsville (1990), so that may explain why I’ve never been there. Oh – another explanation might be that my family only frequented the finest in eateries…such as McDonald’s and Burger King and (if money way good) Pizza Hut.
All in all, I’m glad this two-fer weekend is over. Planning for two weddings – less than 24 hours apart – took a lot out of me. Earlier today, my mom-in-law asked how I manage to calm my nerves before doing something like this, and my nuanced, thoughtful answer was pretty much, “I don’t.”
Here’s a picture my sister took of me and my bride (taken shortly after today’s nuptials):
If I ever get married again I am going to call you!!
Thanks, Mike – that’d be great.
If you’re considering several remarriages, you might want to apply for my “Frequent Marriage Card.” You get a stamp for every ceremony I perform, and your fifth marriage is free.