Brides and Snow, #30shorts

I am a wedding celebrant. A few years ago a friend, who had been officiating weddings for several years, encouraged me to look into it and become an Officiant, especially after I had shared a few personal experiences that friends and family members had in trying to have a simple and personalized wedding ceremony. She mentored me through the process, especially all the legal stuff, like being able to actually marry people in specific municipalities, to assure the couple being married would have an official and recognized wedding in the eyes of the state.

The first wedding I officiated was in my living room. A young couple who have been friends with my own children, since the teenage years, made a decision to marry after almost 10 years together. When they came to share their news, the bride-to-be said, “I wish you could marry us.” And I responded, “Why, as a matter of fact, I happen to be able to do that!” What little family she had was spread across the country. In a little over a week, the groom’s Mom and I pulled together a fun little wedding with just enough food and cake to make it a great celebration. Taking lessons from my mentor, I asked each if they had something specific they wanted for this ceremony. The bride wanted her Dad to give her away to traditional wedding music. He did. The groom’s grandfather is Jewish, and he wanted to break the glass like all his cousins did at their weddings and maybe have a canopy. There was no way I was going to manage a hoopah in the living room, but I did research for the meaning and proper way to mark this ceremony with breaking the glass.  When I finished the explanation to the guests gathered, he stomped on the glass, his Grandfather gave an emotional, “YES!” and an air fist pump toward me. I knew did good.
It was February, there was snow and ice on the ground.

Over the last four years I’ve officiated at weddings of mostly very close friends, more like family, and except for one wedding, which was in May, and a spectacular weather day, they all have had snow and ice on the ground the day of the ceremony.

One of my brides planned an outdoor ceremony in early November, it snowed 4 inches the day before and she insisted to stick to the outside ceremony, rather than move it inside to the catering hall. It really was quite beautiful with the snow banked up behind the decorated Gazebo in warm fall colors, but it was cold! When I offered to shorten the ceremony, the bride said “no”, the groom said “yes”, and from there they made their first marital compromise, we eliminated a reading. It worked.



The Bride's attendants

My most recent bride was a girlfriend from my old neighborhood and high school years. She asked me to help celebrate her upcoming wedding. I was flattered and excited, especially when she said, "Just go with it, I trust you completely, We'll follow your lead."

It was in November. It had snowed that week and there was still ice and snow on the ground the day of the wedding.

According to wedding myths and superstitions, snow on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck, especially in fertility and prosperity.

Uhmm, I’m pretty sure the fertility thing is not an issue, being grandparents at this time in their lives.

 

I’d like to believe that it might just be coincidence that most of these weddings happen just after snow. But looking back on it, maybe it’s Mother Nature’s way of wishing the happy couple good luck and prosperity, along with a healthy dose of caution in what can be the slippery slope of life, to take your time and try not slip. 

"Just go with it."