Sweet Romance reads/Wedding Wednesday.
While on a work assignment at the St. Louis County
Courtroom, I learned a few things about cases that are heard in the courtrooms.
Mondays are reserved for people who want to change their names; Paternity
Tuesdays need no explanation, Wedding Wednesdays, which are open to the public;
Probation Revocation are heard on Thursdays; and divorces are granted every day
of the week along with other civil and criminal trials.
After learning the schedule of “appearances,” I
opted to witness my first courthouse wedding. I was hyped as I counted down the
days to Weddings Wednesday. With thirty to forty marriages to preside over in one
afternoon, judges’ one-minute nuptials would put speed dating to shame.
Judges performed the ceremonies on a rotating
schedule. One judge walked in late, carrying his black robe tucked under his
arm. By the time the bailiff had assembled the couples on a first come, first
serve basis; the judge had slipped on his robe while cracking jokes to stir up couples
and their witnesses. I later found out, ironically, that divorce judges also
act as justice of the peace on Weddings Wednesday.
I didn’t know what to expect as I entered the crowded
courtroom, but I did hope to capture that “look of love” on brides and grooms’ faces.
It was odd to see some couples repeat their vows to the judge instead of gazing
into their beloved’s eyes. On my wedding day, thirty plus years ago, I wanted
my husband to look me in the eye when he made his promises!
Being a bystander wasn’t enough. Since I’m nosy by
nature, I had to ask some brides why they chose the courthouse. Their reasons
varied.
“We’ve been together for twenty-five years. We
decided to make it legal,” said a woman sitting on the last bench. It seemed to
be no big deal to her hubby to-be either who sat stoically beside her.
I moved on to another bride-to-be and asked a
similar question.
“We had planned to get married last year, then I got
pregnant with her,” she pointed to the toddler playing at her feet, “so since we’re
trying to buy a house, the courthouse worked.”
Besides her, there were a good number of women marrying
the father of their children, including some who were pregnant.
The dress attire was as diverse as the nationalities
tying the knot. I could count on one hand, okay, maybe seven fingers how many
had dressed for the grand occasion. Some looked like they were on their way to
a movie, shopping, or even heading back home after the certificate was signed.
There were some eye-catching fairytale brides who
wore white or off white. One woman had on a long cream dress. Her hair was
adorned with flowers as if they were on a vine. She bounced a baby girl in her
arms who was outfitted in a cute orange chiffon dress. “I have my flower girl and
bouquet wrapped up in one,” she told me with a smile.
“What made you decide to get married at the
courthouse?” I asked.
The groom, decked out in a suit and tie, answered,
“I’m about to enlist in the U.S. Navy and I had to be married to make sure my
family was taken care of.”
“Awww, so when are you enlisting?”
“Friday.”
“You’re just making the cut,” I told him and thanked
him for his upcoming service.
On another Weddings Wednesday, I chuckled after a woman,
wearing shorts and a T-shirt, rushed inside the courtroom. “Did I miss it?” she
asked a couple across the aisle in a voice that wasn’t a whisper. The
embarrassed bride and groom shook their heads no.
There so much more, but I’ll share them in a blog or
include them in an upcoming story.
Here’s some pictures to share:
This bride, a native of Nigeria, and her fiancé arrived
three hours early to be the first couple married.
The young…
The more matured …
Nothing was stopping these lovebirds
From one Mrs. Simmons, I congratulated the Mrs.
Simmons, so of course I had to take a picture. Her reason for a courthouse
wedding was to give her Midwest family a ceremony, and then have one later in
Baltimore for other family members.
On this Weddings Wednesday, a friend of a
bride-to-be passed out napkins to newlyweds as they left the courtroom. “I wanted
them to have something special from this day,” she said.
Well, that’s it for me this month. I can’t wait to
see the July weddings!
I’m Pat Simmons, author, romantic at heart, and your
Weddings Wednesday roaming reporter.
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Pat
is the multi-published author of more than a dozen Christian titles and is a three-time
recipient of the Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. She has
been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the
country.
As a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth, Pat is
passionate about researching her ancestors and then casting them in starring
roles in her novels. She describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost
as an amazing, unforgettable, life-altering experience. God is the Author who
advances the stories she writes.
Pat is currently overseeing the media publicity for
the annual RT Booklovers Conventions. She has a B.S. in mass communications
from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Pat converted her sofa-strapped, sports fanatic
husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided
chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They
have a son and a daughter.
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Download her newest release:JET: Back Story to LOVE LED BY THE SPIRIT for .99.