2008 was a busy year of weddings for me...normally I would have one or two weddings a year, but this year I had six with three of them happening in the last three months of the year. The October wedding was beautiful it happened rather quickly... I found out about it about a month before, I had some time to meet a few times with the couple. The wedding happened a day before my birthday. Then the November wedding I learned about it almost 10 days before the wedding day. I like these quick weddings actually... the couple is ready to get to the point a lot faster than those who plan for a year or two...lol..
We planned the whole November wedding via e-mail...it was great... I chatted to the Bride a few times on the phone, but had not met them until the night before their wedding day. The original plan was for the ceremony to happen outside overlooking the lake in Osyoos...for the most part Osyoos is one of the warmest towns in BC...but in November? I just didn't know how it was going to be. Not only that, but the Dept. of Hwys had been working on twinning the highway between Penticton and Summerland...for whatever reason the mountain decided to come down and block the road a few days before the wedding was to take place... all of a sudden the games began...which route would we take? It is only a 3 hour trip from where I live to the Osyoos, but the alternate route offered to us was via a logging road that would be 2 solid hours of dirt and mud...I wasn't overly thrilled about that trip...in the end we decided to take the longer route and had a fantastic trip...
Thankfully the couple decided to have their ceremony inside...what a total relief as it was it very windy and cold when we arrived... I met the couple for the first time, we scanned the room, talked about how the ceremony would be and that was it until the next day...
That November wedding turned out to be one of the most enjoyable ones of 2008...
Just when I thought I was done for the year, with Christmas plans approaching quickly another couple emailed saying that they wanted to get married within 2 weeks... we quickly met, scanned some ceremonies I had done in the past, chose one and then began to make plans of where the wedding would take place...
This is where the fun began... the couple choose the Train Station replica downtown Armstrong... an OUTDOOR wedding on December 5th at 4pm! Yes you read that correctly... and OUTDOOR wedding in December...it was absolutely beautiful... the day prior there wasn't a piece of snow on the ground...the next day everything was white...the train station was decorated for Christmas...L.E.D lights...may save electricity...but they are pitts when it comes to providing enough light to see the words of the wedding Ceremony. We put up a couple of decorative lamps it was sooooooo pretty. What I had not planned on was the fact that at 4 pm it can get really dark really fast... as I said the L.E.D. lights are pitts when it comes to brightness...and midway into the Grooms Vow I realized I didn't have my glasses and it was dark...given I had done a few weddings in the past we completed the rest of the ceremony from memory... no one knew anything different... it was great!
Thank you Rod and Stephanie, Rich and Deanna, Tyler and Christine for allowing me to end 2008 with such fantastic memories! Ty and Chris...an outdoor wedding in December was a first...I love it!!!!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas Ponderings
So here we are dab in the center of another Christmas Season and as usual everyone is busy getting ready for the BIG day. Isn't it interesting that Christmas has evolved into a month long event? I always chuckle when someone asks me, "If I am ready for Christmas"... ready?... I have spent a whole month planning and running...ready? You mean for December 25th? If you haven't noticed there is way more things happening BEFORE the 25th than there is after. The 25th is the day that Christmas ends not begins. By the time the 25th rolls around all the Christmas parties are over, the shopping is done, except for those who wait until Boxing Day to return what they don't like and pick through the already picked over... ready? (What does that mean anyway?) December 25th will come like it does every year and we will do whatever it is that we do like we have done every year before and it will be just fine...ready or not.
As a kid, on Christmas Day we would wake up early, open our presents, have breakfast, figure out where the million pieces go and wonder why there were extra pieces ...I love Christmas, don't you? such fun especially when there was lots of snow...
I read somewhere a few weeks ago that there was only ONE Christmas and the rest are anniversaries. That statement caused me to stop and ponder...like a weddng? a birthday? an opening? There is one initial day and the ones to follow are times to remember the glory of, the history altering moment, the forever change, the day that you will always look back on with joy...the day when the course of the future, your future forever changed.
Most us do it every year, and we do it without thinking about it...for some reason we take Jesus and make Him a baby all over again. But we don't do that that on our anniversaries do we? When we come together on significant days in our lives we celebrate maturity, experience, accomplishments and successes. Maybe, that is what we need to be doing then this Christmas...instead of reducing Jesus to a needy, imbecilic baby, we need to rather see Him for who He really is...Savior, Lord, Healer, Friend...now that is something to ponder isn't it?
Merry Christmas
PB
As a kid, on Christmas Day we would wake up early, open our presents, have breakfast, figure out where the million pieces go and wonder why there were extra pieces ...I love Christmas, don't you? such fun especially when there was lots of snow...
I read somewhere a few weeks ago that there was only ONE Christmas and the rest are anniversaries. That statement caused me to stop and ponder...like a weddng? a birthday? an opening? There is one initial day and the ones to follow are times to remember the glory of, the history altering moment, the forever change, the day that you will always look back on with joy...the day when the course of the future, your future forever changed.
Most us do it every year, and we do it without thinking about it...for some reason we take Jesus and make Him a baby all over again. But we don't do that that on our anniversaries do we? When we come together on significant days in our lives we celebrate maturity, experience, accomplishments and successes. Maybe, that is what we need to be doing then this Christmas...instead of reducing Jesus to a needy, imbecilic baby, we need to rather see Him for who He really is...Savior, Lord, Healer, Friend...now that is something to ponder isn't it?
Merry Christmas
PB
Thursday, November 6, 2008
More Weddings
That 6 minute wedding in sweltering heat taught me a few things. When having weddings in July dress as light as possible.
For whatever reason July 7,2007 was a very favorable day for weddings. The couple and I had planned for this one for well over a year...given the couple did not live where I live we had to do much of the planning via the net. Not a problem...amazing what you can do with a computer these days.
Again this wedding was to be outside at a really nice park. Roses glaore, a trickling brook and large trees not only made the spot absolutely beautiful but would provide shade if the Sun insisted on being merciless.
This is what I have learned...on a July afternoon outside in the shade of a large tree might be a tad cooler than being the open sun, but when you are in a black wool suit you are going to sweat and sweat and sweat...a black wool suit on a July afternoon in the Okanagan is NOT suitable attire regardless of the occasion.
Although I did not cut anything from that ceremony I did speak a little faster than normal...but I want to let you in on a little secret that if anyone else wants to borrow it you can...every Tux Jacket and the Ministers suit has two inside pockets in the upper chest area...if you plan a little ahead for a few dollars you can pick up small ice packs that fit very nicely in those pockets...pop them in the freezer the night before and then into those pockets just before the ceremony is to begin. They will serve you a dual purpose...1. They'll keep you cool and 2. They'll enhance your chest muscles making you look more well built than you really are...hey us over 45 year olds need all the help we can get by times...
For whatever reason July 7,2007 was a very favorable day for weddings. The couple and I had planned for this one for well over a year...given the couple did not live where I live we had to do much of the planning via the net. Not a problem...amazing what you can do with a computer these days.
Again this wedding was to be outside at a really nice park. Roses glaore, a trickling brook and large trees not only made the spot absolutely beautiful but would provide shade if the Sun insisted on being merciless.
This is what I have learned...on a July afternoon outside in the shade of a large tree might be a tad cooler than being the open sun, but when you are in a black wool suit you are going to sweat and sweat and sweat...a black wool suit on a July afternoon in the Okanagan is NOT suitable attire regardless of the occasion.
Although I did not cut anything from that ceremony I did speak a little faster than normal...but I want to let you in on a little secret that if anyone else wants to borrow it you can...every Tux Jacket and the Ministers suit has two inside pockets in the upper chest area...if you plan a little ahead for a few dollars you can pick up small ice packs that fit very nicely in those pockets...pop them in the freezer the night before and then into those pockets just before the ceremony is to begin. They will serve you a dual purpose...1. They'll keep you cool and 2. They'll enhance your chest muscles making you look more well built than you really are...hey us over 45 year olds need all the help we can get by times...
Weddings
I can't believe that the last time I wrote was in May... I have had a few more weddings since then. Most of them have been normal whatever that means.
The shortest wedding I have ever performed happened in a backyard in the Kootenay section of BC...it was in July and very hot...it was an outdoor wedding, small quaint, not too many things to go wrong. It was booked for a day when according to the weather man there would not be a cloud in the sky...and you know what? He was right there wasn't a cloud in the sky...but there was a very large merciless SUN in the sky. I don't know what happened but just as we were about to begin the ceremony the sun in that cloudless sky beat down on us in record busting temperatures...it was so hot I thought I was going to pass out...within minutes the groom was shedding his black wool jacket the bride was roasting in her modest layer upon layer dress. They looked at me I looked at them and said ..."I think we need to cut some things out of this ceremony". It was so hot that the ink was melting on the paper.
I began the ceremony by saying..."We are gathered her to witness the marriage of ____ and ____, without further ado I turned to the groom and asked..."Do you take ____ to be your wife? and to the Bride do you take ________ to be your husband? After they had both said Yes... I said...ok "let's sign the papers"
Everything was completed in 6 minutes. That has been 11 years ago and they are still married...go figure eh...
The shortest wedding I have ever performed happened in a backyard in the Kootenay section of BC...it was in July and very hot...it was an outdoor wedding, small quaint, not too many things to go wrong. It was booked for a day when according to the weather man there would not be a cloud in the sky...and you know what? He was right there wasn't a cloud in the sky...but there was a very large merciless SUN in the sky. I don't know what happened but just as we were about to begin the ceremony the sun in that cloudless sky beat down on us in record busting temperatures...it was so hot I thought I was going to pass out...within minutes the groom was shedding his black wool jacket the bride was roasting in her modest layer upon layer dress. They looked at me I looked at them and said ..."I think we need to cut some things out of this ceremony". It was so hot that the ink was melting on the paper.
I began the ceremony by saying..."We are gathered her to witness the marriage of ____ and ____, without further ado I turned to the groom and asked..."Do you take ____ to be your wife? and to the Bride do you take ________ to be your husband? After they had both said Yes... I said...ok "let's sign the papers"
Everything was completed in 6 minutes. That has been 11 years ago and they are still married...go figure eh...
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Life On A Crag ...Weddings 3
At the end of my last post I said that the wedding on the Baseball Diamond was the most unique place, but this week I was visiting friends and was reminded about a wedding at a place where a wedding had probably never ever happened before,actually most people tend to avoid this place at all costs.
A few details before I tell you where the Ceremony took place. I met the
Bride-to-be first, she had two very active boys...actually the first time I saw her I thought, that woman could certainly use a father for those kids. A few months later I met the Groom-to-be when he called me to host his mother's funeral. At the luncheon following the funeral these two people talked, they had known and seen each other over the years but there was no chemistry between them, until, that is, whatever sparked between them at this funeral.
News quickly spread throughout that small town that R and A had been seen having dinner together, he had been seen picking her up from work etc. Before long wedding plans were being tossed around. Given that this potential marriage would be a second for both of them, neither of them were into anything big, she had already had her "Cinderella" wedding and for a man, well you all know he had other things on his mind other than an expensive party.
So the decision was made that when they were ready they would elope. I was to be ready on the spur of the moment whenever the bug bit. They graciously informed me of the time and day a couple of days prior...but where to have this thing, someplace nice, someplace similar to a church, but a place where the average person would least expect a wedding to take place, thus they would least crash the ceremony. Ahhhh the perfect meaningful place...now go back up and read where they met...at a funeral, and other than a church, funerals take place where???
In a Funeral Home...yes it was the perfect place. A nice decor, flowers and plants already on the premisis, and a limo waiting outside the door to take the Bride and Groom to their hotel in style, quiet and quaint - no kidding...I'll never forget the pause and chuckle when I got to the part in the ceremony about..."until death alone parts you..." that phrase seemed to take on a whole new meaning at that wedding in that funeral chapel that afternoon. The Funeral Director tranformed into a Limo Chaufer and delivered the Bride and Groom to their hotel where a few of us had dinner and laughed how we just did a first and made history.
I wonder what the neighbours living close to the Funeral Home thought when the people leaving the parking lot honked their horns...like they do at weddings...something weird was definitely going on at the Funeral Home that afternoon.
I was just with this couple this past week, they'll be celebrating their 11th anniversary in a few weeks...it was a joy to be with them and to reminese about their unique wedding day.
A few details before I tell you where the Ceremony took place. I met the
Bride-to-be first, she had two very active boys...actually the first time I saw her I thought, that woman could certainly use a father for those kids. A few months later I met the Groom-to-be when he called me to host his mother's funeral. At the luncheon following the funeral these two people talked, they had known and seen each other over the years but there was no chemistry between them, until, that is, whatever sparked between them at this funeral.
News quickly spread throughout that small town that R and A had been seen having dinner together, he had been seen picking her up from work etc. Before long wedding plans were being tossed around. Given that this potential marriage would be a second for both of them, neither of them were into anything big, she had already had her "Cinderella" wedding and for a man, well you all know he had other things on his mind other than an expensive party.
So the decision was made that when they were ready they would elope. I was to be ready on the spur of the moment whenever the bug bit. They graciously informed me of the time and day a couple of days prior...but where to have this thing, someplace nice, someplace similar to a church, but a place where the average person would least expect a wedding to take place, thus they would least crash the ceremony. Ahhhh the perfect meaningful place...now go back up and read where they met...at a funeral, and other than a church, funerals take place where???
In a Funeral Home...yes it was the perfect place. A nice decor, flowers and plants already on the premisis, and a limo waiting outside the door to take the Bride and Groom to their hotel in style, quiet and quaint - no kidding...I'll never forget the pause and chuckle when I got to the part in the ceremony about..."until death alone parts you..." that phrase seemed to take on a whole new meaning at that wedding in that funeral chapel that afternoon. The Funeral Director tranformed into a Limo Chaufer and delivered the Bride and Groom to their hotel where a few of us had dinner and laughed how we just did a first and made history.
I wonder what the neighbours living close to the Funeral Home thought when the people leaving the parking lot honked their horns...like they do at weddings...something weird was definitely going on at the Funeral Home that afternoon.
I was just with this couple this past week, they'll be celebrating their 11th anniversary in a few weeks...it was a joy to be with them and to reminese about their unique wedding day.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Life on a Crag...Weddings 2
Sorry about the other post, don't know what happened...anyway, I am talking about "Life on a Crag...if you read my first post you will learn what a "crag" is . I will attempt to write about various aspects of "life" that I have encountered over the years. My topic right now is weddings.
It is June, the beginning of the wedding season. I had a wedding yesterday, this morning as I was preparing the envelop to send the marriage license to Vital Statistics I wondered how many of these does that office receive between June and August? It was just a wonderment, I 'll probably never know the anwser to the question... not that I really want an answer anyway. Ok, I am babbling...
Weddings yes, that is what I am writing about. The next wedding that stands out in my mind is the one that kinda happened rather quickly...I don't remember all the details leading up to the day, but the day of is etchted in my mind...the Bride was rather tall and the Groom was much shorter. It is usually the other way around but not in this case. The town where the wedding was taking place was kind of "'red-neckish"...well ok, it was like red-neck city. Traditionally one can expect the bride to show up in a white/cream dress ... but not at this wedding... The bride with flaming red hair came around the corner in a crushed velvet rusty full lengther, wearing dock martins and carrying a bouquet of large bright yellow sunflowers. Truthfully I can't remember another thing about that wedding...I think I am still in shock.
I have had many weddings since those that I have written about, most of them have been quite normal, whatever that is supposed to mean. Nothing much stands out about the others until one that I just had a few months back. It was what I call an "eloption" I received a call in the morning around 10am that these people would be showing up for a wedding later in the day. I quickly told them all the things they needed to do...i.e. get a Marriage License and a few other things. I had no idea who was coming or how we were going to get the bride into the building etc. For some reason those things that takes others months to plan just worked themselves out. Why does this wedding stand out in my mind? All was going nicely until we got to the exchanging of the rings... given this was a quickly planned wedding, various family members were designated to get certain things ready. The Bride gave the job of getting the rings to her Father...first mistake, don't ask a man to remember numbers especially sizes! As I said, everything in the ceremony was going along nicely until the time came for the rings. The Groom did exactly as I told him, take the ring and put it on her finger, he pushed, and pushed, twisted and pushed some more, but try as he might this ring was NOT going to on her finger. She took over and pushed and twisted, and pushed and twisted, but again this ring was NOT going on her finger. At that point in time, I suggested we just move on and get his ring on his finger...how silly of me to suggest such a thing...one would think given all the weddings that I have been involved in that by now I would have it figured out that the wedding is ALL about the Bride...dauh...nope this ceremony was not continuing until that ring was on the finger of that Bride...she continued to push, to twist, when it wouldn't move she turned and started to yell at her Dad..."you got the wrong size! Why didn't you do what I told you, how could you get the wrong size!" I was ready for the rapture to take place. My attempts to tell her that we'll fix it tomorrow was totally ignored, until I grabbed her arm and said..."enough!" Through a few tears we finished the ceremony, got the register signed was about to announce them as "husband and wife" when the Bride started to cry again...this time in pain...somewhere between the other stuff and signing the book she mananged to get that itty bitty ring over her knuckle, it was now digging into her skin and her finger was swelling and turning blue because the blood circulation was being cut off. We were now launched into a complete new ceremony that I have never encountered at a wedding before...the job of getting that ring off that finger. Before I knew what was happening, someone was searching for some dental floss, someone else went to find some butter, someone else showed up with a bar of soap. The Bride sat down, the Groom held her hand up, thinking the blood would drain down her arm, and a host of other family members brought out their "sure-to-work" methods of ring removal. Nothing was successful, until the older brother said..." I have a pair of side-cutters in my truck."
Picture this...sitting at the front of the church is a new bride with a tea towel hanging out of her mouth, she is biting on the balled up end of it, Groom sitting on her lap holding her hand up in the air, family members hovering around like bees to honey, and big brother with a pair of pipe cutters in hand is attempting to cut this ring off his sister's finger, every time he got a grip on the gold, she would jerk her body and the Groom would yell..."keep still!" Within what seemed like hours the gold split, and was pried off her finger...smiles returned, pictures got taken and off they skipped into the great blue yonder to live happily ever after...
The most unusal place that I have ever performed a wedding was right here in Armstrong June 2007. No, the wedding at the top of the Ski Hill was not the place. This wedding happened at Home Plate in the middle of the Baseball field. This couple had met playing baseball, and decided that given all their friends were present at this particular tournament that this would be a good place to get married. So, they dressed me in an umpires uniform and with many looking on including various reporters we had a wedding. That wedding made the front page of the Local News Paper...pretty good coverage I think. The guest favors were personally signed base-balls. I had fun, lots of fun...
Yep, Life on a Crag can be fun, lots of fun if you just choose to look for it.
gotta run...
It is June, the beginning of the wedding season. I had a wedding yesterday, this morning as I was preparing the envelop to send the marriage license to Vital Statistics I wondered how many of these does that office receive between June and August? It was just a wonderment, I 'll probably never know the anwser to the question... not that I really want an answer anyway. Ok, I am babbling...
Weddings yes, that is what I am writing about. The next wedding that stands out in my mind is the one that kinda happened rather quickly...I don't remember all the details leading up to the day, but the day of is etchted in my mind...the Bride was rather tall and the Groom was much shorter. It is usually the other way around but not in this case. The town where the wedding was taking place was kind of "'red-neckish"...well ok, it was like red-neck city. Traditionally one can expect the bride to show up in a white/cream dress ... but not at this wedding... The bride with flaming red hair came around the corner in a crushed velvet rusty full lengther, wearing dock martins and carrying a bouquet of large bright yellow sunflowers. Truthfully I can't remember another thing about that wedding...I think I am still in shock.
I have had many weddings since those that I have written about, most of them have been quite normal, whatever that is supposed to mean. Nothing much stands out about the others until one that I just had a few months back. It was what I call an "eloption" I received a call in the morning around 10am that these people would be showing up for a wedding later in the day. I quickly told them all the things they needed to do...i.e. get a Marriage License and a few other things. I had no idea who was coming or how we were going to get the bride into the building etc. For some reason those things that takes others months to plan just worked themselves out. Why does this wedding stand out in my mind? All was going nicely until we got to the exchanging of the rings... given this was a quickly planned wedding, various family members were designated to get certain things ready. The Bride gave the job of getting the rings to her Father...first mistake, don't ask a man to remember numbers especially sizes! As I said, everything in the ceremony was going along nicely until the time came for the rings. The Groom did exactly as I told him, take the ring and put it on her finger, he pushed, and pushed, twisted and pushed some more, but try as he might this ring was NOT going to on her finger. She took over and pushed and twisted, and pushed and twisted, but again this ring was NOT going on her finger. At that point in time, I suggested we just move on and get his ring on his finger...how silly of me to suggest such a thing...one would think given all the weddings that I have been involved in that by now I would have it figured out that the wedding is ALL about the Bride...dauh...nope this ceremony was not continuing until that ring was on the finger of that Bride...she continued to push, to twist, when it wouldn't move she turned and started to yell at her Dad..."you got the wrong size! Why didn't you do what I told you, how could you get the wrong size!" I was ready for the rapture to take place. My attempts to tell her that we'll fix it tomorrow was totally ignored, until I grabbed her arm and said..."enough!" Through a few tears we finished the ceremony, got the register signed was about to announce them as "husband and wife" when the Bride started to cry again...this time in pain...somewhere between the other stuff and signing the book she mananged to get that itty bitty ring over her knuckle, it was now digging into her skin and her finger was swelling and turning blue because the blood circulation was being cut off. We were now launched into a complete new ceremony that I have never encountered at a wedding before...the job of getting that ring off that finger. Before I knew what was happening, someone was searching for some dental floss, someone else went to find some butter, someone else showed up with a bar of soap. The Bride sat down, the Groom held her hand up, thinking the blood would drain down her arm, and a host of other family members brought out their "sure-to-work" methods of ring removal. Nothing was successful, until the older brother said..." I have a pair of side-cutters in my truck."
Picture this...sitting at the front of the church is a new bride with a tea towel hanging out of her mouth, she is biting on the balled up end of it, Groom sitting on her lap holding her hand up in the air, family members hovering around like bees to honey, and big brother with a pair of pipe cutters in hand is attempting to cut this ring off his sister's finger, every time he got a grip on the gold, she would jerk her body and the Groom would yell..."keep still!" Within what seemed like hours the gold split, and was pried off her finger...smiles returned, pictures got taken and off they skipped into the great blue yonder to live happily ever after...
The most unusal place that I have ever performed a wedding was right here in Armstrong June 2007. No, the wedding at the top of the Ski Hill was not the place. This wedding happened at Home Plate in the middle of the Baseball field. This couple had met playing baseball, and decided that given all their friends were present at this particular tournament that this would be a good place to get married. So, they dressed me in an umpires uniform and with many looking on including various reporters we had a wedding. That wedding made the front page of the Local News Paper...pretty good coverage I think. The guest favors were personally signed base-balls. I had fun, lots of fun...
Yep, Life on a Crag can be fun, lots of fun if you just choose to look for it.
gotta run...
Monday, May 26, 2008
Life On A Crag ...Weddings
I am in the process of preparing for some up-coming weddings this weekend and next. I like weddings, they are fun, but stressful all at the same time. Weddings I think are the comic relief every pastor needs to help him make it through another week, month or year at any given church.
I have performed many weddings over the years and there are a few that really stand out in my mind because of the uniqueness of them. I'd like to tell you about the ones that I remember the most.
I'll never forget the first wedding I ever performed... I was so nervous...I wanted to do everything perfect...anyway I went through the whole ceremony, got the ring part right and the pronouncement, dismissed the couple when half way down the aisle the groom turned around and said, "You didn't let me Kiss her..." So they turned around came back to the front of the church, and I said with a very very red face, "You may now kiss your Bride". He dipped her, everyone was ready with their flashes and for the second time I pronounced them Husband and Wife and sent them on their way... glad that one was over.
Many couples, Brides that is, tend to want the fairy tale outdoors wedding. I don't think the guy really cares where the ceremony takes place as long as it happens, for the most part the guy just wants to do whatever it is he has to do and then get on with what he thinks is the best thing in life. Don't ask me what that is please.
Personally I try to counsel clear of outdoor weddings if there is anything that can go wrong it tends to go wrong at these outdoor ceremonies. You can have clear blue skies all morning and 15 minutes before the cermony is to start rain pours from the heavens. Sound systems tend NOT to work outdoors, wind is a nasty thing for microphones...nothing worst than asking a guy, "do you so promise?", with a howling sound in the background. If it doesn't rain, the heat can cause a bridal party to flop over like dying tulips in seconds. If you survive drowning in the rain or being fried in the sun, don't worry the wasp are merciless!
Brides to be...if you are going to have an outdoor wedding and the forecast is calling for 30 degrees would you be a little considerate of the guys and not force them into a black wool suit? I learned something helpful at one such wedding last July -that the inside pockets of a Tux can have a purpose at an outdoor 30 degree wedding - just fill them with those small icepacks and you'll be the coolest guy at the wedding.
The next wedding that I'll never forget was the one where the ceremony was booked at the Chalet at the top of a ski hill. I thought this will definitely be fun... the plan was to have the ceremony on the deck which would have the peaks of the Rocky Mountains in the background simply stunning... A 4x4 was booked to bring the bride and the other females via the service road up to the top of the mountain. The rest of us would take the chair-lift. So here I am, on the chairlift, in a suit with the marriage register enjoying the breath-taking view. When without warning, the chair came to a swinging halt...my worst fears were about to be realized as I looked towards the top of the mountain, thick black clouds had gathered, any other time I would have thoroughly enjoyed a good thunder and lightening storm, but NOT while on an open chairlift, in a suit half way up the side of a mountain holding a Marriage Register! One may not be able to see wind with the naked eye, but one can certainly feel wind, especially in an, did I mention - open chairlift half way up the side of a mountain in a suit...20 minutes later looking like I had just come through the rinse cycle I found my way to the Chalet where 30 other people were wondering if the minister remembered what day it was.
The ceremony had been planned for the deck of the Chalet, I was most relieved when someone made a wise decision to have it inside the Chalet instead. The room wasn't set up, some guys quickly moved chairs and cleared a spot big enough for the Bridal Party to stand in a semi-circle. The Brides-maids found a center aisle, but the biggest surprise was yet to come...just before the Bride was due to grace us with her presence a Golden Retriever with a pink bow attached to its head carrying a ring pillow in its mouth rounded the corner and bee-lined for where I was standing, she came and stood next to me...no questions asked I never moved. When the Bride was in place the dog lay down at her feet for the rest of the ceremony. I hope no one heard my sigh of relief once I realized the rings on the pillow were fake...anyway,
it turned out to be a very meaningful wedding after all...one I shall treasure forever...
That's all for now...next time I will tell you about the most unique wedding dress I have ever seen....until next time...
I have performed many weddings over the years and there are a few that really stand out in my mind because of the uniqueness of them. I'd like to tell you about the ones that I remember the most.
I'll never forget the first wedding I ever performed... I was so nervous...I wanted to do everything perfect...anyway I went through the whole ceremony, got the ring part right and the pronouncement, dismissed the couple when half way down the aisle the groom turned around and said, "You didn't let me Kiss her..." So they turned around came back to the front of the church, and I said with a very very red face, "You may now kiss your Bride". He dipped her, everyone was ready with their flashes and for the second time I pronounced them Husband and Wife and sent them on their way... glad that one was over.
Many couples, Brides that is, tend to want the fairy tale outdoors wedding. I don't think the guy really cares where the ceremony takes place as long as it happens, for the most part the guy just wants to do whatever it is he has to do and then get on with what he thinks is the best thing in life. Don't ask me what that is please.
Personally I try to counsel clear of outdoor weddings if there is anything that can go wrong it tends to go wrong at these outdoor ceremonies. You can have clear blue skies all morning and 15 minutes before the cermony is to start rain pours from the heavens. Sound systems tend NOT to work outdoors, wind is a nasty thing for microphones...nothing worst than asking a guy, "do you so promise?", with a howling sound in the background. If it doesn't rain, the heat can cause a bridal party to flop over like dying tulips in seconds. If you survive drowning in the rain or being fried in the sun, don't worry the wasp are merciless!
Brides to be...if you are going to have an outdoor wedding and the forecast is calling for 30 degrees would you be a little considerate of the guys and not force them into a black wool suit? I learned something helpful at one such wedding last July -that the inside pockets of a Tux can have a purpose at an outdoor 30 degree wedding - just fill them with those small icepacks and you'll be the coolest guy at the wedding.
The next wedding that I'll never forget was the one where the ceremony was booked at the Chalet at the top of a ski hill. I thought this will definitely be fun... the plan was to have the ceremony on the deck which would have the peaks of the Rocky Mountains in the background simply stunning... A 4x4 was booked to bring the bride and the other females via the service road up to the top of the mountain. The rest of us would take the chair-lift. So here I am, on the chairlift, in a suit with the marriage register enjoying the breath-taking view. When without warning, the chair came to a swinging halt...my worst fears were about to be realized as I looked towards the top of the mountain, thick black clouds had gathered, any other time I would have thoroughly enjoyed a good thunder and lightening storm, but NOT while on an open chairlift, in a suit half way up the side of a mountain holding a Marriage Register! One may not be able to see wind with the naked eye, but one can certainly feel wind, especially in an, did I mention - open chairlift half way up the side of a mountain in a suit...20 minutes later looking like I had just come through the rinse cycle I found my way to the Chalet where 30 other people were wondering if the minister remembered what day it was.
The ceremony had been planned for the deck of the Chalet, I was most relieved when someone made a wise decision to have it inside the Chalet instead. The room wasn't set up, some guys quickly moved chairs and cleared a spot big enough for the Bridal Party to stand in a semi-circle. The Brides-maids found a center aisle, but the biggest surprise was yet to come...just before the Bride was due to grace us with her presence a Golden Retriever with a pink bow attached to its head carrying a ring pillow in its mouth rounded the corner and bee-lined for where I was standing, she came and stood next to me...no questions asked I never moved. When the Bride was in place the dog lay down at her feet for the rest of the ceremony. I hope no one heard my sigh of relief once I realized the rings on the pillow were fake...anyway,
it turned out to be a very meaningful wedding after all...one I shall treasure forever...
That's all for now...next time I will tell you about the most unique wedding dress I have ever seen....until next time...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Life On a Crag ...enjoying the Church
It's late...but I just had a memory flash... don't you love it when those things happens, all of a sudden you find yourself taken back to a place somewhere in your past...I don't know if that is a good thing or not...
Anyway, my mind just went back to my earliest recollection of Church...I had a memory of those Mother's and Father's Day programs in Sunday school... man those were big times at church. Every family member would not miss the program for the world...the sanctuary would be packed. I must have been three or four the first time I was given some poem to memorize and recite. I still feel sorry for the poor kid who drew a blank, talk about being embarassed or what.
Anyway the audiance was kind, it didn't matter if you forgot the words and had to have the teacher mouth every sentence to you... the audiance still applauded you on as if you had just recited all 66 books from memory... I think heaven is going to be like that - the host will be cheering us onward regardless how many times we forget our lines...
Seeing we have just come through Mother's Day and Father's Day is just around the corner...how many of you remember when everyone - regardless of age wore a red carnation if their parent was alive and a white one if their parent was deceased? A couple of years ago on Mother's Day I wore a red rose, the questions were unbelieable...some thought I was going for the Trudeau look...until I explained why the Preacher was sporting a red rose in his lapel. This year many at my church came with a flower pinned on and I expect the same will happen on Father's Day... I'll be wearing a white rose - just a rose, no greenery, just a single, simple white rose.
Sunday school, for those who still remember what that was, happened from 3pm-4pm....depending on the teacher it could be a short or a very, very long hour. Don't ask me why our church leaders chose Sunday afternoon for Sunday school - but it seemed to work very well, then again, if one don't know anything different than one will just keep doing it until something changes...maybe...
I always found it interesting that Sunday afternoon was the only time we didn't all go to church as a family...I mean we never missed being at all the other times the church door was open...nevertheless us kids always got dropped off and Dad and Mom seemed always in a rush to get back home...I tried questioning about that once...did you hear what I said....ONCE...
The church I grew up in was always called a "gun-barrel" church... as a kid I always thought it had something to do with the way the devil got shot each week...it wasn't until later years that I learned that it was in reference to the style of the building... long and narrow...it certainly was a long way from the back to the front of the church. Our church had three very long sections of pews...one unique thing about that church was husbands and wives did NOT sit together during the services.
No I am not lying...all the women sat on one side and all the men sat on the other side and the kids, teens, young adults sat in the middle...and God forbid if you talked in church or got into a fit a laughing and couldn't stop- the women would all glare at you from the right side, and the men would lower their eye brows - believe me some of those men had eyebrows that could be used to make wigs, would scowl at you from the left side...
'nough memories for tonight... stayed tuned I have lots more to say...
Anyway, my mind just went back to my earliest recollection of Church...I had a memory of those Mother's and Father's Day programs in Sunday school... man those were big times at church. Every family member would not miss the program for the world...the sanctuary would be packed. I must have been three or four the first time I was given some poem to memorize and recite. I still feel sorry for the poor kid who drew a blank, talk about being embarassed or what.
Anyway the audiance was kind, it didn't matter if you forgot the words and had to have the teacher mouth every sentence to you... the audiance still applauded you on as if you had just recited all 66 books from memory... I think heaven is going to be like that - the host will be cheering us onward regardless how many times we forget our lines...
Seeing we have just come through Mother's Day and Father's Day is just around the corner...how many of you remember when everyone - regardless of age wore a red carnation if their parent was alive and a white one if their parent was deceased? A couple of years ago on Mother's Day I wore a red rose, the questions were unbelieable...some thought I was going for the Trudeau look...until I explained why the Preacher was sporting a red rose in his lapel. This year many at my church came with a flower pinned on and I expect the same will happen on Father's Day... I'll be wearing a white rose - just a rose, no greenery, just a single, simple white rose.
Sunday school, for those who still remember what that was, happened from 3pm-4pm....depending on the teacher it could be a short or a very, very long hour. Don't ask me why our church leaders chose Sunday afternoon for Sunday school - but it seemed to work very well, then again, if one don't know anything different than one will just keep doing it until something changes...maybe...
I always found it interesting that Sunday afternoon was the only time we didn't all go to church as a family...I mean we never missed being at all the other times the church door was open...nevertheless us kids always got dropped off and Dad and Mom seemed always in a rush to get back home...I tried questioning about that once...did you hear what I said....ONCE...
The church I grew up in was always called a "gun-barrel" church... as a kid I always thought it had something to do with the way the devil got shot each week...it wasn't until later years that I learned that it was in reference to the style of the building... long and narrow...it certainly was a long way from the back to the front of the church. Our church had three very long sections of pews...one unique thing about that church was husbands and wives did NOT sit together during the services.
No I am not lying...all the women sat on one side and all the men sat on the other side and the kids, teens, young adults sat in the middle...and God forbid if you talked in church or got into a fit a laughing and couldn't stop- the women would all glare at you from the right side, and the men would lower their eye brows - believe me some of those men had eyebrows that could be used to make wigs, would scowl at you from the left side...
'nough memories for tonight... stayed tuned I have lots more to say...
Friday, May 23, 2008
Life on a Crag
Hi all
This is my first blog, it seems that anyone who is someone is blogging these days. Thus thinking myself to be someone here I am blogging.
For those who are wondering why I named my blog "Life On A Crag" I will tell you. I grew up on the Eastern Coast of Canada, yes I have a unique Canadian accent. As a kid, we had a black and white TV, with those lighted tubes in the back, and a funny looking brown flat wire that went from the back of the TV up between the crack in the ceiling near the chimney and disappeared into the attic somewhere connecting us to the Wonderful World of Disney and beyond.
I know this will be foreign to some, but we got a lot of exercise watching TV...how? Will we had to get up and walk across the room to change the channel - all two of them. Sometimes just when you were really comfortable on the couch you would have to get up a few times and jiggle the channel button to get it on just the right cog, or reach behind and jiggle that flat brown wire for the best reception...especially if it was snowing outside or the wind was blowing or if it was raining or if a bird was sitting on the wires somewhere in other parts of Canada...
Anyway, sometimes on Saturday's I would watch "National Geographic"...not by choice, simply because it was the only thing on and given the other channel at certain times would have all these geese flapping their wings at sickening speeds... There was one eposide of National Geographic that totally intrigued me...when they would show the birds (Puffins) on or near Baffin Island. It always amazed me how much "life" existed amongst these rocky cliffs (Crags). It still intrigues me that these birds can build their nests, lay eggs, hatch and be totally safe and comfortable on a Crag.
I find myself baffled (no pun intended) that a Crag can be so dangerous and yet so safe all at the same time. Why is it safe for these Puffins and their families?Maybe because they have learned how to adapt to their surroundings, they have learned how to make these otherwise dangerous clifts serve them and their purposes. Then again, maybe they haven't learned anything...maybe they are just doing what God ordained for them to be doing and anywhere that God places someone He is more than able to sustain them in that place.
I have always liked writing, one day the thought crossed my mind about writing a book. I thought, every good book should have a good title, while praying about this, in my mind I could see Puffins standing on the edge of clifts...thus the title of my would be book or now my blog - "Life On A Crag...enjoying the Church"
That is what I want to do with this blog...write about what life on a crag or in a church is sometimes like. Write about my experiences growing up in church...and how church is sometimes unsafe and safe all at the same time...just like on the edge Baffin Island where the Puffins happily carry on life year after year.
Here's my credentials... I am forth generation Pentecostal, I come from a long line of Church workers on both sides of my family. My Dad was the type of congregation member who was always there, if the church door was open to the public my Dad made sure we, as a complete family, were there. We did not have the option of staying home, if there was a service at the church the Pastor could bank on the Browns being there. My Dad would make sure that we arrived early and left late..now as a Pastor not much has changed in that area...why is it that when I am not on lock-up duty I still tend to be the last person to leave the building??? Anyway, as time goes on...I hope to write things that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to lift your hands in awe of a wonderful Jesus who has helped me thoroughly enjoy "Life on A Crag"
I look forward to some interaction with those who might be interested to read my blog on a regular basis, thus I encourage your feed back but I am not into nasty criticism, constructive but not nasty...
ps... through this blog may the Lord spur you on to new things in Him! I firmly believe that if Jesus can do this in me He can do it in you also...because you are NOT chopped liver!
This is my first blog, it seems that anyone who is someone is blogging these days. Thus thinking myself to be someone here I am blogging.
For those who are wondering why I named my blog "Life On A Crag" I will tell you. I grew up on the Eastern Coast of Canada, yes I have a unique Canadian accent. As a kid, we had a black and white TV, with those lighted tubes in the back, and a funny looking brown flat wire that went from the back of the TV up between the crack in the ceiling near the chimney and disappeared into the attic somewhere connecting us to the Wonderful World of Disney and beyond.
I know this will be foreign to some, but we got a lot of exercise watching TV...how? Will we had to get up and walk across the room to change the channel - all two of them. Sometimes just when you were really comfortable on the couch you would have to get up a few times and jiggle the channel button to get it on just the right cog, or reach behind and jiggle that flat brown wire for the best reception...especially if it was snowing outside or the wind was blowing or if it was raining or if a bird was sitting on the wires somewhere in other parts of Canada...
Anyway, sometimes on Saturday's I would watch "National Geographic"...not by choice, simply because it was the only thing on and given the other channel at certain times would have all these geese flapping their wings at sickening speeds... There was one eposide of National Geographic that totally intrigued me...when they would show the birds (Puffins) on or near Baffin Island. It always amazed me how much "life" existed amongst these rocky cliffs (Crags). It still intrigues me that these birds can build their nests, lay eggs, hatch and be totally safe and comfortable on a Crag.
I find myself baffled (no pun intended) that a Crag can be so dangerous and yet so safe all at the same time. Why is it safe for these Puffins and their families?Maybe because they have learned how to adapt to their surroundings, they have learned how to make these otherwise dangerous clifts serve them and their purposes. Then again, maybe they haven't learned anything...maybe they are just doing what God ordained for them to be doing and anywhere that God places someone He is more than able to sustain them in that place.
I have always liked writing, one day the thought crossed my mind about writing a book. I thought, every good book should have a good title, while praying about this, in my mind I could see Puffins standing on the edge of clifts...thus the title of my would be book or now my blog - "Life On A Crag...enjoying the Church"
That is what I want to do with this blog...write about what life on a crag or in a church is sometimes like. Write about my experiences growing up in church...and how church is sometimes unsafe and safe all at the same time...just like on the edge Baffin Island where the Puffins happily carry on life year after year.
Here's my credentials... I am forth generation Pentecostal, I come from a long line of Church workers on both sides of my family. My Dad was the type of congregation member who was always there, if the church door was open to the public my Dad made sure we, as a complete family, were there. We did not have the option of staying home, if there was a service at the church the Pastor could bank on the Browns being there. My Dad would make sure that we arrived early and left late..now as a Pastor not much has changed in that area...why is it that when I am not on lock-up duty I still tend to be the last person to leave the building??? Anyway, as time goes on...I hope to write things that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to lift your hands in awe of a wonderful Jesus who has helped me thoroughly enjoy "Life on A Crag"
I look forward to some interaction with those who might be interested to read my blog on a regular basis, thus I encourage your feed back but I am not into nasty criticism, constructive but not nasty...
ps... through this blog may the Lord spur you on to new things in Him! I firmly believe that if Jesus can do this in me He can do it in you also...because you are NOT chopped liver!
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