Hazelnut Reflections: how I learned to conduct a wedding. . .or not

Thursday, August 25, 2005

how I learned to conduct a wedding. . .or not

Kathryn has just posted about the anxiety of doing a first wedding and rehearsing for the rehearsal. . .Her story reminded me of my journey to wedding rehearsal competence.

In seminary, the highlight of one's senior year, if one opted to take Playchurch (can't remember the actual name of the course) was the wedding. You got to announce the banns in chapel, and it was always some completely inappropriate couple who had signed up to be the "bride" and "groom." People who were engaged or married to others, etc.

I volunteered to be the presider, and my former suitemate agreed to be my bride. She was married to someone else, as was the groom. I announced the banns at Dean's Mass, to the usual guffaws and objections. As we were discussing it, she reminded me that she had a daughter involved in theater in college, and I should be prepared accordingly.

I turned up, vested in chasuble, prayer book appropriately marked, and awaited the arrival of the happy couple. Much to my surprise, my postmenopausal friend had turned up pregnant, had acquired a hat with a daisy in it and enlisted our professor as the matron of honor to wear it. The groom had written "help me" on the soles of his shoes.

The only way I could stop laughing was to not look at them the rest of the service. I wasn't very successful.

Thankfully, when it was time for my first rehearsal rehearsal, I begged assistance from the Lutheran pastor we shared space with. Needless to say, he was much more helpful.

Thanks, Kathryn, for the memory!

2 Comments:

At 8:08 PM, Jane Ellen+ said...: Having taken "Play Church" more recently, I can tell you that its proper name was "Practicum in Liturgical Celebration." Our "wedding" had its moments-- but what I'll remember best is the "funeral." I was the Grieving Widow, and that was some of the best fun I had in three years of seminary. (^_^)
At 1:23 PM, Dawgdays said...: I remember going up to the "groom" a few days later, grabbing him by the lapels, and asking him if he was done trying to steal my wife.

I almost went to the service to raise an objection.