BY Clay Larroy
After
working and studying hard all year long families across the United States will
be taking long awaited vacations. Family vacations and travel can be the
most rewarding experience. Families that take vacations together build memories that
will last a lifetime. Family
vacations are so important, as it gives us a way to connect with each other in
a stress-free relaxed environment. When you need to plan a trip contact
me!
A Wedding in Scotland
By Mark’s Wife
WOULD YOU LIKE A RECEPTION WITH THAT?
Two weeks before our departure, the Stirling officials
called to ask what sort of catering we wanted for our reception.
‘We’re taking everyone out for a wedding lunch,’
we explained.
Apparently, this was not the right answer.
We were informed we couldn’t have our wedding in the
chapel unless we had our reception in Stirling’s Great Hall. Given the hall’s
mammoth size, we thought this an odd directive; with only nine people in our
party, we could easily have all stood in one of its fireplaces and not felt
crowded.
Out of curiosity, we asked what the reception would
cost. The answer translated to around $2,000 U.S. dollars. And this, mind you,
was only for the privilege of reserving the room. No food. No beverage. No
bagpipers. Not even napkins with our names printed on them.
‘What if we just bring a bottle of champagne and a
can of cashews to pass around?’ Mark teased.
We discovered they had no sense of whimsy.
‘Y’ best not be bringin’ outside goods,’ they
curtly warned him.
They further advised that the minimum order for
canapés and fruit punch was 50 guests at a starting price of £15 per person.
Either our friends would have to bring hearty appetites, we mused, or we were
about to make 41 total strangers very happy by inviting them to come in and
celebrate with us.
Such tactics, of course, aren’t uncommon. Due to the
popularity of these historic settings, hosting cities have embraced the
practice of insisting their own staff provide all needed services, including
photographers, florists, and wedding cakes. The fact they know you’re already
committed to the event (and presumably have non-refundable tickets) gives them
a lot of leverage. Thus, it’s prudent to inquire at the start what your
contractual agreement includes, or else have additional funds on hand for
last-minute surprises.
Fortunately, we had Fiona in our corner. Oh, to have
been a fly on the wall when she ‘had words’ with the castle officials regarding
the hurdles they kept throwing in our path.
‘They’ll not be causin’ y’ any more grief,’ she
announced.
CUE THE MINISTER
Fiona was also responsible for finding the minister
who would perform the ceremony for us. For fans of old movies, the name Donald
Crisp should be familiar.
‘Does this guy remind you of someone?’ Mark
whispered when we were introduced to him.
‘Yes,’ I replied without hesitation. ‘Donald
Crisp.’
Indeed if you were to send to Central Casting for an
elder, white-haired Scotsman, this is the guy you’d get.
Since we didn’t have a complicated agenda, we arranged
to meet him the day before the ceremony for a brief rehearsal. With my best
friend standing in for me, I instructed him to ‘just do the standard vows.’
What I didn’t realize is that his version included the bride’s words ‘obey.’
‘Couldn’t we substitute ‘cherish’?’ I asked. I
even suggested I’d be perfectly happy to say ‘obey’ if Mark said ‘obey,’ too.
‘But he’s the man!’ the minister archly
insisted. I’m pretty sure he would have liked to tell my groom to run for his
life at that point.
Suffice it to say, he grudgingly bit his tongue the
following day and only had me swear ‘to love and honor.’ He also ducked out
before we had the official photographs, not wanting to be associated with such
a feisty lass as myself.
FINAL NOTE
As wonderful a memory as we made that day, the
lawyerly side of Mark’s brain observed in retrospect that the amount of stress
it imposed was probably matched only by the blind faith we possessed that
nothing dire would happen to us en route. Sadly, the world has become a much
more troubled place than it was when we said ‘I do’ nine years ago - especially
insofar as terrorist threats to air and rail transportation. That said, we’ve
advised friends who are considering the same route to consider a ‘pre-wedding’
as an option.
There’s sound reasoning behind the concept of marrying
in one’s home country first, then using the trip for photo ops. Why? In the
absence of marriage - or a will - a surviving fiancé could be displaced by the
deceased’s next of kin. The knowledge you’re already married has the added
benefit of removing the anxiety of last-minute paperwork, unforeseen expenses
and inclement weather.
This gets back, of course, to one of the reasons you
may be opting for an overseas wedding to begin with; specifically, to share the
moment with only a select group of globetrotting well-wishers. While there’s
nothing wrong with your fellow travelers being in on the secret, there’s also
nothing wrong with using your two most trusted friends as witnesses at a
courthouse civil ceremony and leaving everyone else blissfully none the wiser.
REFERENCE SITES:
You have to make
your wedding day all about you.
DJ Jazzy Jeff
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