Everyone loves a good wedding. As a vicar, I consider it one of the greatest privileges of my job to pronounce a man and woman husband and wife, and to share in the joy of the big day. But of course weddings don't just happen. From the day the happy couple get engaged to the actual date of the marriage, there is just so much to sort out – from where it's all going to take place to who's going to pay for it, and what to do about Great-Aunt Agatha at the reception. It's not too surprising, then, that a whole industry has sprung up to cater for every wedding need, and if you are prepared to pay silly money, all the details can be ironed out for you, from the dress to the flowers to 101 other things you probably had never even thought about.
Of course, even with the best preparation, weddings sometimes still go wrong. We had friends who got married three weeks after us. They had done far more planning than us, even down to timing with a stopwatch how long it took for Lynda to walk down the aisle. But on the day a whole series of things went awry. First of all, the reader of the lesson couldn't get past the bride and groom to the lectern. She was supposed to be reading from 1 John 4, about God is love, but judging from her puzzled expression she must have turned to John 4 instead - The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.
Later on, we all had to queue outside in cold April winds to get our photos taken. An hour and a half later the photographer still hadn't finished, and we voted with our feet to get inside the reception. The reception itself was lovely, but there just wasn't enough food. Us locals in the end all went home and got fish and chips. Our friends became a lovely couple, but we still can't help smiling at all the things that happened that day.
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