June 15, 2008

• Yesterday afternoon - and early evening - I did a turn as a wedding volunteer at my church.

  This is my fourth time, I believe it is, to act in such a capacity.  One thing I've come to realize is there isn't actually a whole lot for a wedding volunteer to do, assuming all goes well.  Meandering around outside the sanctuary while the wedding is going on, directing the occasional late-comer and standing guard over the gifts that have been brought, is a large part of my duties.  A couple of times I've helped with receptions, including a catered, sit-down lunch, which was very nice.  The wedding was held in the large (new) sanctuary, then the guests trooped down the long hall (through the children's area) to the older, "small" sanctuary, which is now sort of an all-purpose room.  It's an excellent venue for a wedding, and as the pews were removed in favor of individual chairs, it can be arranged however is needed (last Wednesday I attended the first Women's Ministry Summer Salad Luncheon in it). 

  If I continue to do this, I'm going to have to buy myself an appropriate outfit with pockets and a small digital camera, as I keep missing fabulous photo ops, which is simply killing me.  At the wedding yesterday there'd been a round table set up in what is called the Great Room (really just the large area outside the new sanctuary), and on it was a lovely floral arrangement and an assortment of photos.  Not the ordinary bride-and-groom-over-the-years photos, but past wedding portraits from relatives on both sides.  It was fascinating! 

  After the groomsmen had finished with having their pre-ceremony photos taken, they passed the table on their way back to the upstairs room which had been set aside for their use, and seeing the photographs they spontaneously gathered around it, oohing and ahhing, pointing out one picture or another to each other.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was quite moving, and I tried to surreptitiously catch the attention of the videographer, who had his back to me and was filming a static something, and one of the official photographers, who also had his back to me and was taking pictures of the guest book (why he'd want photos of an empty guest book, I can't imagine).  No luck.  The vignette lasted just a minute, if that, and then the young men dispersed, and the moment was gone.

  And I was the only one to see it. 

  As the bride and her father were waiting to be signaled it was Time, and after the photographer had taken her posed photos of them both, I saw him  - he was facing me, while she was mostly turned away from me  -  take her hands in his and beam fondly at her, and murmur something to her, and her squeeze his hands.  Then they let go of each other as the signal was given, he gave her a thumbs up, and she returned it, in what was clearly a traditional rite of theirs. 

  Again, I was the only one to see them, and oh, how I wished I'd had my camera so I could have snapped them making the thumbs-up sign at each other, and when he was holding her hands in his for the last time before walking her down the aisle!  Had that been Don and one of our girls I'd have cherished seeing those photos later on, so what a pleasure it'd be to be able to send them via the wedding director. 

  But no camera. 

  On another note, the groom had the best idea for his groomsmen's gifts!  He gave them compasses on chains....they looked like pocket watches.  The guys were obviously very pleased with them, so if someone needs such a thing, those would be a good choice.

  • 10:22 pm
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