They are married

The wedding is over! I, and they, survived it. Although, there were a few things that I never had to deal with before. I began playing weddings when I was about seventeen. I have seen almost anything you could think of. One wedding I played was when my present church was just getting started.. Our pastor at the time would marry anyone who appeared on his door. I think he thought it would be a way of increasing membership.

One wedding had the groom there, the pastor and me. As time got closer and closer to the appointed wedding time, there was no bride. Guests were arriving, but no bride. About thirty minutes after the set time, a small car wheeled into the parking lot. What happened next reminded me of the small cars at the circus full of clowns. It was a small car. Suddenly all four doors opened and people began piling out of the car. I think there were six people in that car including the bride in her full skirted wedding dress. That is a sight that is burned on my memory. Later I found out from the pastor that the groom’s dad was not happy about the marriage. I think the marriage occurred so that the bride could remain in the United States.

Much later I was booked to play for a wedding (different pastor - a personal friend as well) for a Nigerian couple. I knew nothing of them. At this time I was not organist at my church. I was at another church on the first and third Sundays. I began playing my usual twenty minutes before the service. After thirty minutes, nothing was happening. Absolutely nothing. L’s wife came up to the choir loft to tell me the wedding party was not there and I should just wait. Later L came up and said the people were traditionally late. Thanks, L! And come to think of it, I never got paid either!

Last night I assumed (yeah I know) since the piano was close to a large glass door that I would have plenty of light to read the music. Uh, no. The night was overcast, so the room was dim. The light I should have brought was sitting right here at home, safely nestled next to the organ. Ok - it would work. That is until they began taking flash pictures of everything and everybody in the room. G told me they took at least six of me. All I know is that it was difficult to see after each flash.

The wedding coordinator came to me as I was playing Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. I thought she needed to tell me something. Nope, wrong. She was going to pin my flower on me. Great! I get to the most challenging part of the piece for me, and she is going to stick me with a pin!

We practiced how the flower girls (three?!?) would walk in. One was going to walk in with my son and his wife, since she was C’s cousin’s daughter, and the other two would follow. With everyone standing, I couldn’t see them. I thought they were all in. Nope. They strung out single file. Was I still playing. No. I was ready to announce the bride, and began to do so with the introduction to the wedding march.

All in all, it was a beautiful wedding. A good time was had by all, and most importantly we finally got that man down the aisle. We thought he would never ask her to marry!