I’m way behind on blogging.  Lately I’ve been too busy doing weddings to write about them, having performed a flurry of nuptials recently in our Wedding Chapel. Why do weddings tend to come in flurries or clumps, I wonder?  Maybe it’s because spring has sprung and love is in the air, and just maybe it’s because of women’s instincts. The guy may initiate the marriage process by getting down on one knee and popping the question.  But after that, it’s usually the woman who plans and pulls a wedding together to make it happen.  Women seem to have a herding or flocking instinct.  They are known to synchronize bladders and thus end up in the restroom all at the same time.  In the same way, I think they may channel a collective vibe to all at once call someone like me to marry them and their sweethearts.  That’s okay; whether they come single file or in a “clump,” we welcome them all!  We've posted a few pics above.  See a bunch more of our recent couples on this link to a page on our chapel website:  http://www.weddedyourwaychapel.com/recent-couples.html

People around here have been in a marrying mood lately.  We’ve logged in 10 weddings in the past 2 weeks, most at our chapel. The variety is fun to see. We’ve had some childless young couples, others just starting families, as well as older ones who brought their grandkids along. Some couples have arrived all dressed up, with various family members to watch and cheer them on. Others have dressed in jeans and asked us to provide their witnesses and only the minimum ceremony required to make it legal. One couple drove down from Seattle just to be married the same day. They obtained a waiver of the 3-day waiting period and got their marriage license on the way to the chapel.  (Oregon will waive the 3-day wait, while Washington will not.)  There were weddings with bouquets and rings and weddings without any frills. What they all had in common was love in their hearts, smiles on their faces, and a willing kiss after we pronounced them husband and wife. We’re sharing a few photos here, and you will find the rest at this link to our chapel website:  http://www.weddedyourwaychapel.com/recent-couples.html

Some have a whirlwind courtship, and others have a whirlwind wedding. Two weddings booked with me last week, each with only two days’ notice. One young couple, Katelyn and Shane with a darling 4-year-old boy, Charlie, opted for our chapel setting. The guest list was pushing 20, which is our capacity, including a number of small children.  I expected a bit of a zoo, though I love kids and, in fact, have 5 grandkids of my own.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well-supervised and well-behaved they all were. 

The other couple, Sonia and Terry, was fortunate to have close friends who hosted their wedding at their lovely West Linn home, which boasts a gorgeous view of the Willamette River flowing just beyond their backyard.  That wedding was so typical of life—the sun broke through the clouds and “smiled” on us just as we began.  Moments later, the neighbor started up his noisy lawn mower.  It was a small demonstration of the vows about accepting the good with the bad. 

Best wishes to both of our last week’s whirlwind couplesand Sonia and Terry, for a lifetime of happiness!