#291
Clint 0:01
Hey everybody, welcome to the wedding ceremony podcast. We talk about anything and everything that has to do with wedding ceremonies. This is episode number 291, recorded on Tuesday, October 20 2020. Well, isn't that something 20 2020? Hmm. My name is Clint Hufft. And with me is a gentleman that also was excited about numbers that repeat themselves over and over again, the one and only JP Reynolds.
JP Reynolds 0:29
How did you know that? And it's true, though.
Clint 0:36
So today was an exciting day for you. Is that what you're saying?
JP Reynolds 0:40
You know, I did not realize that it was 10/20 2020. Say that 10 times fast.
Clint 0:48
Truth be told, I didn't really realize it until I had to say it out loud. And then I thought, oh, today's a big day. Which makes me think that Well, before I get into that, JP is an accomplished author. His books are in the Amazon store and in the Kindle store in Amazon. He is a communications expert. thebusinessofconfidence.com is that website, his wedding website is JPRweddings.com. Mine is Reverendclint.com. Or ClintHufft.com, for all of the things that I do. Speaking of today, I know that a Saturday ago, I guess, about well, literally 10 days ago, that the it was 10/10 2020. And apparently, a lot of people targeted that date. Our friend Alan Katz, who owns an officiant company here in Southern California, I don't know what the amount of weddings that his company officiated, because he's got like, 30 officiants on his roster, or something like that. But it apparently broke all records. It was just crazy. And, of course, most of those were micro weddings, and, minis and stuff like that. But he told me that every single one of his officiants were booked on that day, and many of them multiple weddings. He has a chapel where people can get married. And then of course, they'll go on location as well. But that was a huge day. And every year there's a date, usually a singular date, that seems to be the most desirable. That seems to be the most desirable date of the year. And, it seems like I would guess a lot of people are getting married today, because we talked a couple of episodes ago about how, because of the pandemic, that it almost doesn't make any difference what day of the week it is that people are going to if they're going to have a micro wedding or an elopement or whatever then any day of the week is fair game. And so I bet there's a bunch of stuff going on today for that company.
JP Reynolds 2:56
Interesting. I am always fascinated by the numbers, and I always forget the numbers until maybe signing the marriage license. Oh, right. Like, with a nice number. One day, they were so insistent on getting married today.
Clint 3:22
Well, there's numbers like, 10/10 2020 or 10/20 2020, that are easy for for me to wrap my mind around. It's just simple. But then for those people who are into numerology, and there are some customs, traditions that are really into that, where a date will pop up as being incredibly popular. And I have no idea why until somebody explains the stars are in alignment or whatever it is. And then it becomes the most requested of the year. But I think 10/10 2020 takes the cake. I think it wins the prize.
JP Reynolds 4:01
We had couples asked me to date their marriage license with the numerological date, even though they weren't having their big public ceremony on that date.
Clint 4:19
So you've met with them twice the first you did the legal part. And then you did the big one.
JP Reynolds 4:23
Yeah, I mean, it was basically, So you're getting married. You want to be a husband and wife? Yeah, okay, fine. It's like on a Monday or a Tuesday, and then that Saturday, we're doing the big wedding or whatever.
Clint 4:41
You know, that kind of legal thing. I get a big kick out of that. Close to where I live, about five minutes away, is one of the clerk recorders offices that issues marriage licenses here in Los Angeles County. And there have been a number of times where I have met the couple there, and for whatever reason they need to get legally married as quickly as possible, and I always tell them, I'll meet you there. And it's really fun. Because they'll walk outside with a license, I'll fill out the paperwork, I'll look at them and say you want to marry him, you want to marry her? Okie dokie. And then sign the license, hand it back to them, and they walk back in to file their paperwork. I just get a kick out of that, because it's so simple. I mean, that's really all it's about in regards to the legal wedding is do you willingly enter into this agreement? Yeah. And I like that, where it takes on an air of, I mean, of course, it's serious, from a certain standpoint, because it is a binding contract. But when you compare it to the formality of a full wedding ceremony, to be able to just say, do ya, I really think that's a lot of fun. In regards to people that need to get married, legally, under certain situations, let me rephrase that, in regards to people that need to get legally married under specific circumstances, years ago, there was a couple, and they got legally married in, I want to say, Indonesia, or Bali, or something like that. I'm not that good with South Pacific geography. But anyway, that was a deal. And they got legally married there, and I had to explain to them, I have to see the license. I’ve got to see the license in order for me to use the language that you want in your wedding ceremony. With no license, I can't say husband, wife, or mister and Mrs., and that sort of stuff. And what was fascinating is they had to jump through a bunch of hoops, because it was out in the middle of the Pacific. Okay, I'm not gonna say anything else, because then I would be unfair to somebody else. But the important thing was, when they finally got copies of the marriage license, it was all in French. And, then they had to have it translated for me. Finally, they all got it all done. And it was fine. It was done in plenty of time for the wedding day. But that was the most interesting experience in regards to that type of a situation because usually, if they've already gotten legally married somewhere in America, it's so easy. Just make sure that you get a certified copy and just let me see it. But the hoops that these people had to jump through with that government and what the government was requesting from them so they could get what they needed. It was fascinating. And I had to admit, in order for this to be for real, I don't read French and so I got to see it in English. And, and they did it. They did everything they need to do.
JP Reynolds 7:47
Interesting,
Clint 7:48
But there's a little bit of trepidation, like, Are we going to get the documents we need in time? You know, that kind of thing?
JP Reynolds 7:59
Yes, I'm, well, I'm curious, because if they were recognizing that wedding, as their official and legal ceremony, it strikes me as odd that they would have not obtained documents prior to leaving the country. I mean, in the sense that, it's like, okay, we're going to need these documents back in the States, if we buy a house, if I change my last name, if I, whatever. So, all of those documents would have needed to have been in their possession. Even if they had never had this ceremony with you.
Clint 8:55
I'm about to explain to you why it happened the way it happened. And I'm going to describe the two people involved. And then it will make total sense.
JP Reynolds 9:08
Oh, me and my big mouth.
Clint 9:12
These two people came from privilege. They dabbled in, how do you call it, mind altering substances to the point where on the day of their wedding, I arrived in the appropriate amount of time ahead of time, and the event planner looks at me with that exasperated look on her face, because this is gonna be kind of like a big deal, right? And she said, Oh, brother, she said it's been like this the entire time. Maybe they had been there for like three days including the rehearsal, that sort of thing. She said it's been like this the entire time. This morning, We were pounding on their door. We were pounding on their door, we were calling the room and we couldn't Rouse them from their deep quote unquote, sleep. And that's how the day began. Wow. But the thing is, is that's how their day began, which was really kind of like early afternoon, while everybody else's day had started early. And so the idea that they had to do what they needed to do, because nobody told them, Listen, here's the real deal. And then for them to actually muster up the wherewithal to get it done. Once you met the couple and understood, then it makes sense. And then the father, one of the fathers kind of was in that same mold. And so we're lined up to get ready for the processional. And somebody says, Where's dad? And it turns out that an hour before, all of a sudden, he kind of got this idea in his head that he needed to get in the car and drive and go get something. Now, we knew that he also believed in mind altering substances. And so it was that kind of thing where you wish you were a fly on the wall. Even though I was playing a major role in the festivities, I really was literally a fly on the wall with all this going on. Because then, okay, so the child of this father was really angry, that It's so typical, and this is what he does, and that kind of stuff. And then five minutes before we're supposed to walk down the aisle, I mean, five minutes, including the normal delay from the invitation time, the dad shows up, and he looks like kind of a wild guy. I mean, he his hair is messed up, and he’s whatever. And immediately, there are handlers and entourage, people that are trying to shove a comb through his hair and get him just come on, we got to get down the aisle. Now, having said that, the ceremony was lovely. It was just lovely. And the dad was in the front row, and there were no disturbances. And the couple was smiling and happy. And it all worked out great. But there is a part of me, you know how you have admitted to me that you kind of enjoy reality TV, every now and then?
JP Reynolds 12:23
Not every now and then. Oh, no. Always?
Clint 12:41
It was one of those weird experiences where I was in a reality TV show. If you wrote the screenplay, nobody would believe it type of a thing. Right? And I'm in it, I'm sitting right there in it. And I have to tell you, because it didn't affect me directly at all. I mean, whatever was going to happen was going to happen. And they had a bunch of people, and we were going to have a ceremony and so la dee da. So from that standpoint, I wasn't nervous about anything. But it was fascinating to watch all of the interplay of the people before we walked up the aisle. And now you understand the whole thing.
JP Reynolds 13:25
Right. And you know, I'm smiling because this is what we have missed in 2020. In terms of weddings, because the beauty of the micro wedding is that it strips away so much of what you just described. You know, it's micro wedding. it's the wedding unplugged. It's just getting back to the bare bones basics. And it's all talk about the good old days, vintage. it's like, Ah, yes, where is Oh, just, you know, again, that phrase is on a line of our T shirts. Where's dad? Well, you can get the T shirt in the Where's dad? Where's mom?
Clint 14:19
Well, when we make that T shirt, I'm going to have a drawing of a silhouette of this dad, with the hair. Just I mean, splayed out. You know, that kind of a thing. That totally makes sense. It also just occurred to me that there are members of our listening audience who listened to me tell that story and they are freaking out. Right? Because they've never been involved with anything even close to that. Everybody has their stories. I mean, everybody has their stories about this went wrong or that went wrong or whatever. I couldn't believe that behavior or whatever it was.
JP Reynolds 15:00
This is on a much milder scale. But I did a wedding this weekend. And on the drive home, I was reflecting on how I just missed these wackadoo moments. Because it's seldom you get a wackadoo moment with a micro wedding. This wedding I officiated over the weekend had 75 guests. So it was probably one of three large weddings I've done this year, right, and a lot of interesting aspects to the wedding. But the moment that dovetails with what you were describing was, at the venue, it's now like about five minutes before the ceremony. Okay. And I have been with this couple for many months, we've gone through different iterations and variations and dates of this ceremony. And it's like, Oh, thank God, we're finally here. And, it's now five minutes before the ceremony. I’m just standing, waiting for the event planner to line me up. And the father of the groom comes up to me. And he says, When will I be doing the prayer? And this is where I had forgotten. It's those moments where you're minding your own business. And somebody comes up, and asks, What seems to be like, when am I gonna do the? I don't know, when you go to bed tonight, that's when you're gonna be doing the prayer. I said, you'll be doing a blessing at the reception, a blessing before the food is served. No, no, I was told I'm doing two prayers. Aren't you a little grubby brass? It's like, what do you need to do? If you do the first one Right, You really don't have to worry about the second one. And I said, Oh, no, I spoke with and I mentioned a couple of I said, I think you know, you'll be doing, you know, oh, I'm doing two plus two printers. And so then he goes to the event planner, he says, When am I doing the prayer? And I think in that moment, I think, Oh, I am so rusty. I am so rusty. Because I have I just have forgotten these classic moments.
Clint 18:06
Well, you've given me another famous line that I'm sure we will be bringing back for as long as we do the podcast. The first one was when you told the mom, when she said, I have reservations and you said the only reservation you have is for dinner, please go sit down. Now we have a new one. When do I say the prayer? Tonight before you go to sleep.
JP Reynolds 18:29
Well, I went to the groom. And the groom, of course, is in an altered state of mind. Alright, the groom would not be able to recognize a prayer, if it was worth like a million dollars. So at that point in time, he said, what did we say? And I said, Well, we agreed that your father would do the grace before meals. Oh, okay. So the son says something to his father. And then I realized he may have been concerned because he was as described by his son, a conservative Christian, that his concern was that there was not going to be any prayers in the ceremony. So I then said to him, I'm going to be saying a prayer in the ceremony. And it was fascinating, because then his reaction was, oh, you're gonna say a prayer. in brackets, you little heathen. It's like, yes. Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. Yeah. Y'all thought it makes sense, because it's my ceremony. Thank you, interloper. Precisely, precisely.
Clint 19:59
You know what that reminds me of was the story you told me about the uncle. In fact, I told this story yesterday on the Spiritual Cake Podcast, one of my other podcasts where I told the story that you related to we were talking about scripture, and what determines scripture and that kind of stuff. And the uncle that was going to read from the Bible, and the first thing he did was stand up and say, now I'm going to read something from the Good Book. And your response was that, are you sure it's the good book? Is it a better book? Is there another book that's got a kick?
JP Reynolds 20:36
So it was it was a wonderful experience to remind me what I have missed in 2020. And it just was that reminder of as an officiant in the 30 minutes, 60 minutes before a ceremony, you can never let your guard down. Because no matter how well prepared you are, there will always be someone who will ask you the question that will make you go, What?
Clint 21:21
First of all, did the father not do the prayer during the ceremony?
JP Reynolds 21:28
I did one prayer. And he did one prayer. He did his prayer at the reception, so he did grace before meals.
Clint 21:40
Okay, so it wasn't in the ceremony?
JP Reynolds 21:43
No, no, no. What I also loved in the ceremony was the mother of the bride for the reading. And she prefaced the reading, sly little thing that she was, by telling all of us why it was her favorite reading. And I'm listening to her. Like, sweetheart, this is not about you. Okay? This is not America's Got Talent. Right, called you up to your favorite reading. This reading is all about these two dopes. Oh, my God, give me that piece of paper.
Clint 22:31
That reminds me of when I was a little girl. Yeah.
JP Reynolds 22:35
Exactly. It's like, this is my favorite reading. Because I just love it. It's like, Ah, this is not a book report.
Clint 22:48
And then you can't help but think about the couple. And when I leave here, I'm releasing you into the care of these people.
JP Reynolds 22:57
Okay, there was one other moment that I love. And again, all of this, it's all so wonderfully sweet. It's so wonderfully wackadoo. I’ve just been rusty and I forgotten this Madcap year of 2020. And so Okay, so the couple there, it's after the ceremony, Take the groom aside, I said, Look, I just want to let you know, I've got the license, it's signed, taking with me, I'll mail it back to the county. What I do is I mail the couple a letter. And in that letter, I confirm that I mailed back the license to the county, I mailed them the copy of their license, I give them information on how to order a certified copy of their marriage certificate. And I also include the name of the website for the name change. So it's kind of a way for me to bring closure to our wedding relationship. So I just quickly say all of this to them and I said, Have a great night. Just enjoy every moment of tonight. It's glorious. And I then start to walk away.
And I'm talking to somebody and then suddenly, at least a good minute, 90 seconds later, feel a tap on my shoulder. It's the groom. I said, Hey, man. I just got a question. When am I gonna get it?
Okay. I think maybe you know me.
Clint 25:03
Not only that, but I just imagine all of our listeners are right on the edge of their seat. Oh my gosh, they're trembling.
JP Reynolds 25:09
Oh, so many ways I can answer this question. I said, you’ll get what? He says, Well, you said you're gonna write me a letter. And the way he said, you're gonna write me a letter. It was like, so sweet because it's like, Okay, well, first of all, it's a form letter. Number two, I'm not using a fountain pen.
Clint 25:48
quill.
JP Reynolds 25:50
Number three, it's not a dear john letter that I'm writing to you. It’s a letter to you And you see that woman in the white dress? It’s a letter to the two of you. All this is what's going through my mind. Then the other thing is, I don't know when the mailman is going to deliver it. I don't know when is going to be a knock at your door. I said, Well, I'm gonna put it in the mail on Monday. So maybe Wednesday. Thursday.
Oh, okay. Thank you.
Clint 26:39
If we make our T shirts, and at the top is like our logo, wedding ceremony podcast, and then the quote, when am I gonna get it? That's a top seller right there. When am I gonna get it?
JP Reynolds 26:56
Oh, my God, am I gonna get it? It was so sweet.
Clint 27:02
So that's where I also would direct him to the lady in the white dress. You should ask her.
JP Reynolds 27:12
Well, because you know, what you forget is in the moment, no matter how present you are, no matter how on top of things you are. For an officiant, there's so much racing through our heads. You know, there's so much. And when a question is phrased in an unexpected manner. It it just throws you off.
Clint 27:39
Well plus JP, to be fair, you have been sprinkled with magic dust. Because you attract these people. I don't know what it is. But they all end up coming up to you. You have that special something?
JP 27:55
Thank you.
Clint 27:56
Yes, no, no, believe me. We are all thanking you.
All right. That's it, JP. That's all I can handle for right now.
JP Reynolds 28:06
Amen.
Clint 28:07
Remember everybody, I know that you're gonna want to go back through the archive of our episodes, and you're gonna find a lot of the things that we refer to that have happened in the past, because you can go to our website, it's weddingceremonypodcast.com and all of the episodes are right there on the landing page. They're all listed chronologically, which means the most recent one is at the top. You can also find us in the apple podcast store and any app that accesses that library and just search for wedding ceremony podcast and then click the subscribe button. And every time we post a new episode, it'll automatically come into your podcast world. Remember that JP is an accomplished author. His books are in the Amazon store and in the Kindle store in Amazon. For communications coaching, I recommend thebusinessofconfidenc.com. His wedding website is JPRweddings.com. Mine is ReverendClint.com or ClintHufft.com For all the things that I do. We also invite you to click the email us button on wedding ceremony podcast calm and then let us know your stories or tell us something fascinating and Ron from down under you sent me something that I cannot wait to share with JP and we and of course with everybody else that's a part of our podcast. We once again want to thank the incredible musicians that play our theme music that a couple players da ca p o players.com. That's it for this episode of the wedding ceremony podcast. This is Clint and on behalf of JP We will see you next time.
Clint 0:01
Hey everybody, welcome to the wedding ceremony podcast. We talk about anything and everything that has to do with wedding ceremonies. This is episode number 291, recorded on Tuesday, October 20 2020. Well, isn't that something 20 2020? Hmm. My name is Clint Hufft. And with me is a gentleman that also was excited about numbers that repeat themselves over and over again, the one and only JP Reynolds.
JP Reynolds 0:29
How did you know that? And it's true, though.
Clint 0:36
So today was an exciting day for you. Is that what you're saying?
JP Reynolds 0:40
You know, I did not realize that it was 10/20 2020. Say that 10 times fast.
Clint 0:48
Truth be told, I didn't really realize it until I had to say it out loud. And then I thought, oh, today's a big day. Which makes me think that Well, before I get into that, JP is an accomplished author. His books are in the Amazon store and in the Kindle store in Amazon. He is a communications expert. thebusinessofconfidence.com is that website, his wedding website is JPRweddings.com. Mine is Reverendclint.com. Or ClintHufft.com, for all of the things that I do. Speaking of today, I know that a Saturday ago, I guess, about well, literally 10 days ago, that the it was 10/10 2020. And apparently, a lot of people targeted that date. Our friend Alan Katz, who owns an officiant company here in Southern California, I don't know what the amount of weddings that his company officiated, because he's got like, 30 officiants on his roster, or something like that. But it apparently broke all records. It was just crazy. And, of course, most of those were micro weddings, and, minis and stuff like that. But he told me that every single one of his officiants were booked on that day, and many of them multiple weddings. He has a chapel where people can get married. And then of course, they'll go on location as well. But that was a huge day. And every year there's a date, usually a singular date, that seems to be the most desirable. That seems to be the most desirable date of the year. And, it seems like I would guess a lot of people are getting married today, because we talked a couple of episodes ago about how, because of the pandemic, that it almost doesn't make any difference what day of the week it is that people are going to if they're going to have a micro wedding or an elopement or whatever then any day of the week is fair game. And so I bet there's a bunch of stuff going on today for that company.
JP Reynolds 2:56
Interesting. I am always fascinated by the numbers, and I always forget the numbers until maybe signing the marriage license. Oh, right. Like, with a nice number. One day, they were so insistent on getting married today.
Clint 3:22
Well, there's numbers like, 10/10 2020 or 10/20 2020, that are easy for for me to wrap my mind around. It's just simple. But then for those people who are into numerology, and there are some customs, traditions that are really into that, where a date will pop up as being incredibly popular. And I have no idea why until somebody explains the stars are in alignment or whatever it is. And then it becomes the most requested of the year. But I think 10/10 2020 takes the cake. I think it wins the prize.
JP Reynolds 4:01
We had couples asked me to date their marriage license with the numerological date, even though they weren't having their big public ceremony on that date.
Clint 4:19
So you've met with them twice the first you did the legal part. And then you did the big one.
JP Reynolds 4:23
Yeah, I mean, it was basically, So you're getting married. You want to be a husband and wife? Yeah, okay, fine. It's like on a Monday or a Tuesday, and then that Saturday, we're doing the big wedding or whatever.
Clint 4:41
You know, that kind of legal thing. I get a big kick out of that. Close to where I live, about five minutes away, is one of the clerk recorders offices that issues marriage licenses here in Los Angeles County. And there have been a number of times where I have met the couple there, and for whatever reason they need to get legally married as quickly as possible, and I always tell them, I'll meet you there. And it's really fun. Because they'll walk outside with a license, I'll fill out the paperwork, I'll look at them and say you want to marry him, you want to marry her? Okie dokie. And then sign the license, hand it back to them, and they walk back in to file their paperwork. I just get a kick out of that, because it's so simple. I mean, that's really all it's about in regards to the legal wedding is do you willingly enter into this agreement? Yeah. And I like that, where it takes on an air of, I mean, of course, it's serious, from a certain standpoint, because it is a binding contract. But when you compare it to the formality of a full wedding ceremony, to be able to just say, do ya, I really think that's a lot of fun. In regards to people that need to get married, legally, under certain situations, let me rephrase that, in regards to people that need to get legally married under specific circumstances, years ago, there was a couple, and they got legally married in, I want to say, Indonesia, or Bali, or something like that. I'm not that good with South Pacific geography. But anyway, that was a deal. And they got legally married there, and I had to explain to them, I have to see the license. I’ve got to see the license in order for me to use the language that you want in your wedding ceremony. With no license, I can't say husband, wife, or mister and Mrs., and that sort of stuff. And what was fascinating is they had to jump through a bunch of hoops, because it was out in the middle of the Pacific. Okay, I'm not gonna say anything else, because then I would be unfair to somebody else. But the important thing was, when they finally got copies of the marriage license, it was all in French. And, then they had to have it translated for me. Finally, they all got it all done. And it was fine. It was done in plenty of time for the wedding day. But that was the most interesting experience in regards to that type of a situation because usually, if they've already gotten legally married somewhere in America, it's so easy. Just make sure that you get a certified copy and just let me see it. But the hoops that these people had to jump through with that government and what the government was requesting from them so they could get what they needed. It was fascinating. And I had to admit, in order for this to be for real, I don't read French and so I got to see it in English. And, and they did it. They did everything they need to do.
JP Reynolds 7:47
Interesting,
Clint 7:48
But there's a little bit of trepidation, like, Are we going to get the documents we need in time? You know, that kind of thing?
JP Reynolds 7:59
Yes, I'm, well, I'm curious, because if they were recognizing that wedding, as their official and legal ceremony, it strikes me as odd that they would have not obtained documents prior to leaving the country. I mean, in the sense that, it's like, okay, we're going to need these documents back in the States, if we buy a house, if I change my last name, if I, whatever. So, all of those documents would have needed to have been in their possession. Even if they had never had this ceremony with you.
Clint 8:55
I'm about to explain to you why it happened the way it happened. And I'm going to describe the two people involved. And then it will make total sense.
JP Reynolds 9:08
Oh, me and my big mouth.
Clint 9:12
These two people came from privilege. They dabbled in, how do you call it, mind altering substances to the point where on the day of their wedding, I arrived in the appropriate amount of time ahead of time, and the event planner looks at me with that exasperated look on her face, because this is gonna be kind of like a big deal, right? And she said, Oh, brother, she said it's been like this the entire time. Maybe they had been there for like three days including the rehearsal, that sort of thing. She said it's been like this the entire time. This morning, We were pounding on their door. We were pounding on their door, we were calling the room and we couldn't Rouse them from their deep quote unquote, sleep. And that's how the day began. Wow. But the thing is, is that's how their day began, which was really kind of like early afternoon, while everybody else's day had started early. And so the idea that they had to do what they needed to do, because nobody told them, Listen, here's the real deal. And then for them to actually muster up the wherewithal to get it done. Once you met the couple and understood, then it makes sense. And then the father, one of the fathers kind of was in that same mold. And so we're lined up to get ready for the processional. And somebody says, Where's dad? And it turns out that an hour before, all of a sudden, he kind of got this idea in his head that he needed to get in the car and drive and go get something. Now, we knew that he also believed in mind altering substances. And so it was that kind of thing where you wish you were a fly on the wall. Even though I was playing a major role in the festivities, I really was literally a fly on the wall with all this going on. Because then, okay, so the child of this father was really angry, that It's so typical, and this is what he does, and that kind of stuff. And then five minutes before we're supposed to walk down the aisle, I mean, five minutes, including the normal delay from the invitation time, the dad shows up, and he looks like kind of a wild guy. I mean, he his hair is messed up, and he’s whatever. And immediately, there are handlers and entourage, people that are trying to shove a comb through his hair and get him just come on, we got to get down the aisle. Now, having said that, the ceremony was lovely. It was just lovely. And the dad was in the front row, and there were no disturbances. And the couple was smiling and happy. And it all worked out great. But there is a part of me, you know how you have admitted to me that you kind of enjoy reality TV, every now and then?
JP Reynolds 12:23
Not every now and then. Oh, no. Always?
Clint 12:41
It was one of those weird experiences where I was in a reality TV show. If you wrote the screenplay, nobody would believe it type of a thing. Right? And I'm in it, I'm sitting right there in it. And I have to tell you, because it didn't affect me directly at all. I mean, whatever was going to happen was going to happen. And they had a bunch of people, and we were going to have a ceremony and so la dee da. So from that standpoint, I wasn't nervous about anything. But it was fascinating to watch all of the interplay of the people before we walked up the aisle. And now you understand the whole thing.
JP Reynolds 13:25
Right. And you know, I'm smiling because this is what we have missed in 2020. In terms of weddings, because the beauty of the micro wedding is that it strips away so much of what you just described. You know, it's micro wedding. it's the wedding unplugged. It's just getting back to the bare bones basics. And it's all talk about the good old days, vintage. it's like, Ah, yes, where is Oh, just, you know, again, that phrase is on a line of our T shirts. Where's dad? Well, you can get the T shirt in the Where's dad? Where's mom?
Clint 14:19
Well, when we make that T shirt, I'm going to have a drawing of a silhouette of this dad, with the hair. Just I mean, splayed out. You know, that kind of a thing. That totally makes sense. It also just occurred to me that there are members of our listening audience who listened to me tell that story and they are freaking out. Right? Because they've never been involved with anything even close to that. Everybody has their stories. I mean, everybody has their stories about this went wrong or that went wrong or whatever. I couldn't believe that behavior or whatever it was.
JP Reynolds 15:00
This is on a much milder scale. But I did a wedding this weekend. And on the drive home, I was reflecting on how I just missed these wackadoo moments. Because it's seldom you get a wackadoo moment with a micro wedding. This wedding I officiated over the weekend had 75 guests. So it was probably one of three large weddings I've done this year, right, and a lot of interesting aspects to the wedding. But the moment that dovetails with what you were describing was, at the venue, it's now like about five minutes before the ceremony. Okay. And I have been with this couple for many months, we've gone through different iterations and variations and dates of this ceremony. And it's like, Oh, thank God, we're finally here. And, it's now five minutes before the ceremony. I’m just standing, waiting for the event planner to line me up. And the father of the groom comes up to me. And he says, When will I be doing the prayer? And this is where I had forgotten. It's those moments where you're minding your own business. And somebody comes up, and asks, What seems to be like, when am I gonna do the? I don't know, when you go to bed tonight, that's when you're gonna be doing the prayer. I said, you'll be doing a blessing at the reception, a blessing before the food is served. No, no, I was told I'm doing two prayers. Aren't you a little grubby brass? It's like, what do you need to do? If you do the first one Right, You really don't have to worry about the second one. And I said, Oh, no, I spoke with and I mentioned a couple of I said, I think you know, you'll be doing, you know, oh, I'm doing two plus two printers. And so then he goes to the event planner, he says, When am I doing the prayer? And I think in that moment, I think, Oh, I am so rusty. I am so rusty. Because I have I just have forgotten these classic moments.
Clint 18:06
Well, you've given me another famous line that I'm sure we will be bringing back for as long as we do the podcast. The first one was when you told the mom, when she said, I have reservations and you said the only reservation you have is for dinner, please go sit down. Now we have a new one. When do I say the prayer? Tonight before you go to sleep.
JP Reynolds 18:29
Well, I went to the groom. And the groom, of course, is in an altered state of mind. Alright, the groom would not be able to recognize a prayer, if it was worth like a million dollars. So at that point in time, he said, what did we say? And I said, Well, we agreed that your father would do the grace before meals. Oh, okay. So the son says something to his father. And then I realized he may have been concerned because he was as described by his son, a conservative Christian, that his concern was that there was not going to be any prayers in the ceremony. So I then said to him, I'm going to be saying a prayer in the ceremony. And it was fascinating, because then his reaction was, oh, you're gonna say a prayer. in brackets, you little heathen. It's like, yes. Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. Yeah. Y'all thought it makes sense, because it's my ceremony. Thank you, interloper. Precisely, precisely.
Clint 19:59
You know what that reminds me of was the story you told me about the uncle. In fact, I told this story yesterday on the Spiritual Cake Podcast, one of my other podcasts where I told the story that you related to we were talking about scripture, and what determines scripture and that kind of stuff. And the uncle that was going to read from the Bible, and the first thing he did was stand up and say, now I'm going to read something from the Good Book. And your response was that, are you sure it's the good book? Is it a better book? Is there another book that's got a kick?
JP Reynolds 20:36
So it was it was a wonderful experience to remind me what I have missed in 2020. And it just was that reminder of as an officiant in the 30 minutes, 60 minutes before a ceremony, you can never let your guard down. Because no matter how well prepared you are, there will always be someone who will ask you the question that will make you go, What?
Clint 21:21
First of all, did the father not do the prayer during the ceremony?
JP Reynolds 21:28
I did one prayer. And he did one prayer. He did his prayer at the reception, so he did grace before meals.
Clint 21:40
Okay, so it wasn't in the ceremony?
JP Reynolds 21:43
No, no, no. What I also loved in the ceremony was the mother of the bride for the reading. And she prefaced the reading, sly little thing that she was, by telling all of us why it was her favorite reading. And I'm listening to her. Like, sweetheart, this is not about you. Okay? This is not America's Got Talent. Right, called you up to your favorite reading. This reading is all about these two dopes. Oh, my God, give me that piece of paper.
Clint 22:31
That reminds me of when I was a little girl. Yeah.
JP Reynolds 22:35
Exactly. It's like, this is my favorite reading. Because I just love it. It's like, Ah, this is not a book report.
Clint 22:48
And then you can't help but think about the couple. And when I leave here, I'm releasing you into the care of these people.
JP Reynolds 22:57
Okay, there was one other moment that I love. And again, all of this, it's all so wonderfully sweet. It's so wonderfully wackadoo. I’ve just been rusty and I forgotten this Madcap year of 2020. And so Okay, so the couple there, it's after the ceremony, Take the groom aside, I said, Look, I just want to let you know, I've got the license, it's signed, taking with me, I'll mail it back to the county. What I do is I mail the couple a letter. And in that letter, I confirm that I mailed back the license to the county, I mailed them the copy of their license, I give them information on how to order a certified copy of their marriage certificate. And I also include the name of the website for the name change. So it's kind of a way for me to bring closure to our wedding relationship. So I just quickly say all of this to them and I said, Have a great night. Just enjoy every moment of tonight. It's glorious. And I then start to walk away.
And I'm talking to somebody and then suddenly, at least a good minute, 90 seconds later, feel a tap on my shoulder. It's the groom. I said, Hey, man. I just got a question. When am I gonna get it?
Okay. I think maybe you know me.
Clint 25:03
Not only that, but I just imagine all of our listeners are right on the edge of their seat. Oh my gosh, they're trembling.
JP Reynolds 25:09
Oh, so many ways I can answer this question. I said, you’ll get what? He says, Well, you said you're gonna write me a letter. And the way he said, you're gonna write me a letter. It was like, so sweet because it's like, Okay, well, first of all, it's a form letter. Number two, I'm not using a fountain pen.
Clint 25:48
quill.
JP Reynolds 25:50
Number three, it's not a dear john letter that I'm writing to you. It’s a letter to you And you see that woman in the white dress? It’s a letter to the two of you. All this is what's going through my mind. Then the other thing is, I don't know when the mailman is going to deliver it. I don't know when is going to be a knock at your door. I said, Well, I'm gonna put it in the mail on Monday. So maybe Wednesday. Thursday.
Oh, okay. Thank you.
Clint 26:39
If we make our T shirts, and at the top is like our logo, wedding ceremony podcast, and then the quote, when am I gonna get it? That's a top seller right there. When am I gonna get it?
JP Reynolds 26:56
Oh, my God, am I gonna get it? It was so sweet.
Clint 27:02
So that's where I also would direct him to the lady in the white dress. You should ask her.
JP Reynolds 27:12
Well, because you know, what you forget is in the moment, no matter how present you are, no matter how on top of things you are. For an officiant, there's so much racing through our heads. You know, there's so much. And when a question is phrased in an unexpected manner. It it just throws you off.
Clint 27:39
Well plus JP, to be fair, you have been sprinkled with magic dust. Because you attract these people. I don't know what it is. But they all end up coming up to you. You have that special something?
JP 27:55
Thank you.
Clint 27:56
Yes, no, no, believe me. We are all thanking you.
All right. That's it, JP. That's all I can handle for right now.
JP Reynolds 28:06
Amen.
Clint 28:07
Remember everybody, I know that you're gonna want to go back through the archive of our episodes, and you're gonna find a lot of the things that we refer to that have happened in the past, because you can go to our website, it's weddingceremonypodcast.com and all of the episodes are right there on the landing page. They're all listed chronologically, which means the most recent one is at the top. You can also find us in the apple podcast store and any app that accesses that library and just search for wedding ceremony podcast and then click the subscribe button. And every time we post a new episode, it'll automatically come into your podcast world. Remember that JP is an accomplished author. His books are in the Amazon store and in the Kindle store in Amazon. For communications coaching, I recommend thebusinessofconfidenc.com. His wedding website is JPRweddings.com. Mine is ReverendClint.com or ClintHufft.com For all the things that I do. We also invite you to click the email us button on wedding ceremony podcast calm and then let us know your stories or tell us something fascinating and Ron from down under you sent me something that I cannot wait to share with JP and we and of course with everybody else that's a part of our podcast. We once again want to thank the incredible musicians that play our theme music that a couple players da ca p o players.com. That's it for this episode of the wedding ceremony podcast. This is Clint and on behalf of JP We will see you next time.