A Wedding Story

You've got to love the irony. On Independence Day 15 years ago, Ricardo and I committed ourselves to each other.

I for one, have always considered 4th of July to be the most romantic day of the year. Sitting in the dark, snuggled next to your significant other, watching beautiful fireworks overhead.....yep, sure smacks of romance to me. But now, back to the memory...

I still remember it like it was yesterday. We had a noon wedding scheduled. (Some old western enthusiasts may say "High Noon.") We were doing the old quickie wedding on the way to the airport. Before we caught a flight out to Cancun. No guests, just us. Simple. More meaningful as well, I think.


We hired a limo driver to pick us up at our townhouse and take us to the wedding chapel. The Chapel of Love. No, really. It truly was called the Chapel of Love. The officiator was "Dr. Vows."...yes really. I had picked this establishment out of the yellow pages. It was on the way to the airport, and it was cheap. When I called to reserve our day and time, the good doctor advised me it would cost $50. And I could pay it out in installments if I needed to, as long as it was paid off before the big day. Honestly. But we were living large, we threw caution to the wind. We paid for the ceremony all in one lump sum. In advance. Yeah, we're risk takers all right.

It was a beautiful sunny day. The limo was elegant. The driver was kind and fun. He was also navigationally challenged. He took the scenic route to the chapel and got lost. Had to call headquarters for directions. Also, to call the chapel for us...to advise them we would be late. See, 15 years ago, cell phones weren't commonplace in our lives. Things not going exactly as planned...well, that was nothing new.

We were an hour late for our own wedding. Seriously. THANK GOODNESS we didn't have guests. Can you imagine?! For one betrothed person to not show up for the wedding would have been bad. But for both to be AWOL...THAT would have looked downright pathetic, at best.

Luckily, the good doctor waited for us. The Chapel of Love was a little more than a hole in the wall, of a residential neighborhood. Really. It was a tiny house in the middle of a not so nice neighborhood. Okay, it wasn't a neighborhood... exactly. That would seem too upscale and refined. Let's just, for all intent and purposes, call it what it was. A "Hood." And the hole in the wall, most probably from a bullet. There was a car up on blocks across the street. People definitely noticed when we pulled up in a limo. Some people were standing around on the streets. They were obviously "working". I doubt that they reported their income to the IRS,... but I digress. Others peeked out their windows (the ones that weren't covered with tinfoil) as we arrived. Even the limo driver was a little bit nervous. He backed into the driveway, in case we had to make a quick getaway. He may be navigationally challenged; but, he was street smart. And prepared. I'll give him that. Luckily, we didn't need any quick getaways. The wedding went as planned, sort of....

Upon entering the quaint chapel, we were met with an oasis of beauty. Okay,we were met by a few church pews. (Okay, technically they may have just been "wooden benches.") We also found a few mismatched fold out chairs and candles for ambiance. Not pillar candles mind you,... votives. Votives in cups. Yes, romance was in the air alright! There were also a few strands of greenery twisted around an old white plastic arch. Silk greenery. Aged silk greenery. And a podium which the good doctor stood behind for the ceremony. Ahhh yes, this is what $50 will get ya. Character. Memories that linger long after the ceremony is over. Memories that you will never forget. Even if you try.

To say the chapel's decor was the highlight of our wedding experience, would have done a disservice for the actual service itself. We didn't have traditional vows. Nope. Dr. Vows had other plans in store for us. Anyone can pledge to love, honor and obey. In sickness and in health. For better, for worse....til death do ye part. As for us, one of our pledges was "To give you my heart. For I have no use for it." Honest. We also pledged (among other things) to bathe once a year. Whether we felt we needed it or not. ( According to Dr. Vows, so many marriages crumble due to hygiene issues. ) Then he reached his hand into the ceremonial podium, presented us with two travel bars of soap and announced we were man and wife.

Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Many of you may not believe what you are reading. You may think I'm joking, that's what I do. But I'm serious. You can view it for yourself. We have it all on VHS tape. Our lovely limo driver, taped the unconventional-yet charming ceremony for us. He wasn't a technological whiz, so the first couple of minutes of the ceremony were missing. But, the rest is all there. He even added commentary. And laughter. We all laughed. And laughed. And well, you get the picture.

It is the only wedding I know of, where the bride and groom are laughing through much of the ceremony. We couldn't help it. Each pledge and vow was a little more crazy than the one before. We even had to kiss each other's rings after we placed them on our fingers. ( I now know how the Pope feels.) The good doctor also told us (after he handed us our bars of soap) that he had a good feeling about us. He thought our marriage would be successful.

I don't believe the good doctor ever went to medical school. Perhaps he didn't even attend any Theological classes. I do believe however, that Dr. Vows knew what he spoke of though... In some strange sort of way. Our marriage does indeed seem to be successful. Whether it is due to compatibility, hard work, or good hygiene habits I don't know. Perhaps all. Perhaps none. All I know is, it works. And like our wedding, the marriage has been filled with much laughter.

I also know, that we are truly married. No... I mean legally. We checked that out when we returned from our honeymoon. Wouldn't you?! It was all there. Signed. Sealed. Delivered to the legal registries or such.

15 years later, Ricardo and I still look at each other on occasion and say: "I give you my heart, for I have no use for it." It still brings back memories of that day. The day we lost our Independence, but gained a lot more. And if you ask us, it was one of the best $50 we ever spent. We've gotten a great return on our money. We also wouldn't change a thing about how or where we got married. Okay, perhaps we would change the whole "being an hour late thing." But the truth is, it's not the type of ceremony you have. How large, how small. It's not the location. It's not who is on the guest list. It's the actual marriage that is important. That's what people invest in. Or should. That and soap...or so I'm told.

On that note, Happy Anniversary Ricardo!! I'm glad I gave you my heart. I'm glad you gave me your name. I'm complete because of the two babies we made together. I'm blessed for the life we have together as a couple and as a family. And after all these years, I still see fireworks on our anniversary! I hope there will be many more 4th of July celebrations in our future ! I love you!