Today I had the honour of officiating at the wedding of Ray Hawkes and Rhonda Cooper.
The wedding was in a little spot called Stoneyford, about twenty minutes out of Colac. Whilst blowy and a few degrees below comfortable, the weather held off the worst.
I’ve made the mistake of turning up to a wedding late once. I’ll never do that again. I check the time each time I see the bride and/or groom in the week before. I consult several time pieces on the day of the wedding, and I make sure I have all the paperwork multiple times before I leave.
Anyway, I arrived at Stoneyford expecting to find a very nervous groom and a couple of elderly relatives.
Not today. There were two relatives, including one who was looking after the official photography. No groom, and nothing like the fifty or so guests I was led to believe would be there. That was fine. There was still half an hour to go.
I set everything up, making sure the papers didn’t blow away in the gale. T-15 minutes. Still only three of us.
At T-5 minutes the cake arrived. The reception followed immediately after the wedding. Still no groom, and still no guests.
At 1:30, the advertised starting time, the groom finally arrived. He looked a little flustered, and apologised for being so late. When he realised he was the fourth one there, he relaxed.
A few minutes later a mini-bus arrived with the majority of the guests on board. That’s smart thinking. Everyone was going to be drinking, and it was a fair hike for most guests, so putting on a bus made perfect sense.
Then, eight minutes late, the bride arrived. Eight minutes late is, in anyone’s bridal book, pretty early. After that, it all went beautifully.
So Ray and Rhonda, congratulations, and I really hope God blesses your union, and you’ll both keep your word to each other.
Spirit Cry 