~The Immaculate Heart & The Drink

This is the story of one of my favorite weddings. Not because it was the prettiest, or even the easiest . It was just that it stuck in my head as one of the craziest .

I drove up to the Immaculate Heart a tiny convent & church. Not having grown up catholic I had never been in a convent. Instantly I found it kinda of fascinating watching the nuns doing work all around me. One of these sisters showed me to the chapel where we would start the wedding rehearsal.

Now mind you at a catholic wedding your job as a wedding planner is to listen to the priest. Each one is different and likes things done in certain ways. They are the boss. They will tell you how the church part of the wedding will be done. Spotting the photographer (one that I have worked with tons of times) I walked over to her. Ann & I took our places in the back of the church waiting to hear from the priest. But, what we heard nothing could prepare us for.

Entering from the side of the church and taking his place at the pulpit. A tiny little white haired priest stood before us. Waving his hands he called us to attention. In a thick Irish accent he tells us "Here is how we are going to be doing this event. You will be here ON time. You are here for the couple. You will be in the moment. I don't want to see you smiling too much. If I see that I will know you are NOT in the moment. You are NOT thinking of the couple. Don't be showing up smelling of the drink. If you are smelling of the drink...you are NOT thinking of the couple . You are NOT in the moment. Now you GO."

Stunned & holding back the giggles. Ann & I were holding each other up against the door. Looking at each other "I guess we better GO" I say to Anne in my own Irish accent. Ann punches me in the arm & smiles saying"See you tomorrow be in the moment." Giggling I yell after her"and don't be smelling of the drink!".

Wedding Day! I show up early to over see the set up & to work on the flowers. The Father finds me inside the church. "As the groom & the groomsmen show up I would like to see them one at a time. Alone in my office." This is not common let me first off tell you. But, as I said the priest runs the show.

A few hours later the bridal party slowly starts pouring in. Finding the groom & his men in their tiny ready room. It was like a mini party going on in there. Now mind you weddings & "the drink" go hand in hand. Especially with the men. This time was no exception. In the corner the men were cheering each other on as they did shots of Tequila. Pulling the groom aside I inform him of the Fathers wishes. Panic lights up his eyes "what did I do?" "I don't know. What did you do?"I asked. Lining them up one by one I pop mints into each ones mouths. Scared out of their minds the each one entered the office like men on death row. Now to this day I still have no idea what he said to them but, they came out silent as the grave.

Leaving them to reflect . I went to find the bridal party. The woman were running around applying make up, fixing hair and everything that goes along with that. I love the Bridal room before a wedding. Generations of woman all in one room ,dressed in their best. Handing the Bride her bouquet I tell her it's time. We walk down the winding dirty road to the tiny chapel. Holding the Bride's dress up I walk behind her. Almost there I say start to say as she faints. This happens at times. So I jump into action. I tell one of the bridesmaids to get the Bride water and the give her some room. After a few encouraging words & a bottle of water we are back on.

Getting to the chapel I spy the next optical. This quaint little chapel only had 3 steps. 3 steps + a cathedral length train = wedding planner having to hold the back of the dress down the stairs & around the corner in order to not been seen during the brides grand entrance. The doors open the bride starts walking & I am being dragged across the lawn. Finally the Bride is almost down at the end of the aisle. I quickly shut the doors & make a mad dash to the side door of the church.

Entering I hear the Quartet is still playing not noticing that the Bride is in fact already down the aisle. I being waving like a mad women to get them to stop. Hiding of to the side the chapel is too tiny for them to see me. The wedding party looks like a horse shoe at the front of the church blocking the view the happy couple. I am forced at this point to crawl on the floor to play Wedding phone tag. Telling the first bridesmaid to remember to stand the right way and to tell the others to do the same. Finally having enough of all this the Father looks at the Quartet and tells them to "cut it. " Yet they play on. The Father rises up & yells"I said CUT IT." Fearing the tiny priest every one falls into line. The band stops playing & everyone is in the" moment."

By the end of the night I was hoping to be "smelling of the drink. " haha