Wedding Reflections.2

On Friday morning, Francisco and I started our morning at the Lycoming County Courthouse, where we applied for a wedding license. Pennsylvania has a three day waiting period for wedding licenses; they kept insisting to me that it would be fine, just come in the day before and they'd waive the waiting period. Nonetheless, I was a little nervous--what if a different person was working and wouldn't waive the waiting period? They refused to give me any approval in writing, so we had to trust them. Thankfully, there were no problems. As part of our application, the deputy recorder asked us if either of us were "weak-minded, insane, or of unsound mind" and if we had been institutionalized in the last five years. Also, she asked if we had any sexually transmissible diseases. Definitely the most anachronistic part of the day. Really, Pennsylvania, can't we reword the wedding license questions and bring them into the 21st century?

Next, Francisco and I went to get his ring resized. Francisco insisted that the ring fit just fine; I thought it was falling off his finger. The kind jeweler had to calmly explain to Francisco that the ring needs to be a little tight so that it doesn't fly off when it's cold out or his hand gets wet. So they sized it down for us while we waited. Poor Francisco: he's a little freaked out by the fact that he has to wear a wedding ring--I think it makes him feel like he's choking. I remember the look of panic on his face when we went ring shopping several months ago and he tried on a test ring--he started pulling it off with all his strength immediately (this is probably the reason that we originally ordered the wrong size).

This reminds me: almost without exception, the vendors that we worked with in Williamsport were extraordinarily friendly. They weren't perfect: our rental place called the day before the wedding to say that they'd promised to rent us more cocktail tables than they owned, which was a bit annoying. However, I couldn't really fuss at them: the women there had spent countless hours showing me all their wares, letting me revise my order, and giving me other wedding recommendations.

We spent the next several hours Friday setting up, with friends and family dropping by to help cut up grapes and rolls and watermelon and to help with all the other last-minute tasks. Diana and her sister and sister-in-law dropped by; all super eager to do whatever they could to help. Hopkins came by and then ran off with Ilana to explore the fields near my parents' house for flowers to add to the bouquets.