shortest wedding ever

[eks6426]

I went to a wedding this weekend that had the shortest ceremony I have ever experienced. It was held in a gazebo in the park. There were white folding chairs set up for about 200 guests. There was a harpist playing the typical Pacabel''s Canon. There were 7 bridesmaids and groomsmen and flowergirl and ring bearer. The bride arrived in a horse drawn carriage. She wore an elaborate ball gown with a skirt of tulle that probably had a hoop skirt under it.

But the really strange thing was from the time we first saw the bride step out of the carriage (it was quite a walk to the gazebo) to the time she and her new husband were out of sight was a total of 3 minutes. Yep, folks 3 minutes. The actual ceremony was only 60 seconds. It was over before we even realized we started it. We only realized the time because my husband had gotten a call on his cell phone so he looked at it to turn it off (it was on vibrate though). A few other people had similar experiences and we all agreed on the time.

It was definitely the SHORTEST ceremony every especially since everything else was rather formal and elaborate. The minister was from the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons I think). There was absolutely nothing said other than the "Do you so and so take so & So" stuff. No message to the couple nothing. Just really strange.

My 10 year old looked at me and said "Why couldn''t YOUR wedding have been that short?" Ha. Got to love kids. (I got remarried in 2005 in a 20 minute ceremony).

 

[beachbound]

Wow, that is really short considering the dramatic appearance and many bridesmaids/groomsmen. My friend was married last month and her ceremony was five minutes! I thought that was short!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Short and to the point...sounds sweet with all the details you included, but I''m guessing you really didn''t have the time to decide!

 

[sumbride]

WOW! you''d think with all the details she could have spent a little time on the ceremony!

I thought my sister''s Methodist wedding was short... 19 minutes including the trumpet solo! Mine will probably be between 20 and 30 but we''re still writing it.

 

[neatfreak]

Just a question, but do they also go to a Mormon temple? I ask because often Mormon couples will get "sealed" as it's called in the temple, then will have a "ring" ceremony as a more traditional wedding ceremony for everyone else. Because no one other than those with temple cards can go to the temple to witness the sealing, it often excludes a large number of family members and friends, so couples often choose to have a very brief "ring" ceremony afterwards. I assume that they are practicing Mormons, so their wedding would need to be "sealed" in the temple to ensure their marriage through all eternity.

What you could have witnessed might have occurred after they were formally sealed (and thus married) and might have just been show for family and friends.

Just a thought...

 

[DivaDiamond007]

That is really short! My ceremony was about an hour.

 

[musey]

I''m hoping for about 6-7 minutes TOPS. If we have more to say to each other, I''m betting it''ll be stuff we''d rather keep private anyway

Then again, I am a non-churchgoer who had to sit through 3 (only 3) cousin''s ceremonies that were all in the 20-30minute category. I just remember thinking "WHO in this room cares enough to sit through 25 minutes of meaningless stuff, in order to get 5 minutes of the good stuff??" I don''t want anyone bored at my wedding. Only the good stuff will be included, and none of the fluff!

Maybe that''s just the entertainer in me

 

[eks6426]

I don''t know if they go to Temple. She is from the Latter Day Saints church. He is Roman Catholic. I am pretty sure he didn''t convert....

I just thought it was strange because it seemed like a lot of money to spend for 60 seconds. But I guess if it worked for them than that''s just fine.

 

[Julianna]

Date: 6/25/2007 11:09:05 AM
Author: neatfreak
Just a question, but do they also go to a Mormon temple? I ask because often Mormon couples will get ''sealed'' as it''s called in the temple, then will have a ''ring'' ceremony as a more traditional wedding ceremony for everyone else. Because no one other than those with temple cards can go to the temple to witness the sealing, it often excludes a large number of family members and friends, so couples often choose to have a very brief ''ring'' ceremony afterwards. I assume that they are practicing Mormons, so their wedding would need to be ''sealed'' in the temple to ensure their marriage through all eternity.

What you could have witnessed might have occurred after they were formally sealed (and thus married) and might have just been show for family and friends.

Just a thought...

I agree with neat: Mormons get married and sealed in the temple if they can, and thus this bit may have been just for show. Also, the minister or what have you could not have been Mormon, as there are no Mormon ministers that perform outside ceremonies. It''s a bit odd, though, to make it so short! Seems like if they went to all the trouble to get all the carriage and seated guests and so forth, they could add some fluff.

Just for the heck!

 

[Julianna]

Date: 6/25/2007 12:00:44 PM
Author: IslandDreams
I don''t know if they go to Temple. She is from the Latter Day Saints church. He is Roman Catholic. I am pretty sure he didn''t convert....

I just thought it was strange because it seemed like a lot of money to spend for 60 seconds. But I guess if it worked for them than that''s just fine.

Oh hee hee, I didn''t even read this bit. Yeah if she''s Latter Day Saint and he''s Roman Catholic, they''d be married outside of the temple. And it may have been a nondenominational dude performing the ceremony.

Amen on the lots o'' money for 60 seconds. Though I''d rather sit through one minute than a few hours.

 

[Mara]

ID, what did you have to make it 20 min?

i actually wanted ours to be like 10 min...but i had a hard time finding ''filler'' for it to be that long! i mean the really important stuff is all of a few minutes. so i had the minister say a bunch of stuff about marriage and some stuff in hawaiian, we said some vows, then the traditional stuff. i think ours was maybe like 7-10 min, not sure. a friend who just got married had about a 7 min ceremony too...i think if you don''t add any religious stuff into it, it''s hard to make it longer!!

we have been to hour long catholic ceremonies but other than that most of them are 10 min or less.

 

[surfgirl]

I dont think our ceremony will be more than 10-15 minutes...But I once went to a wedding that went on for freaking ever. And they did something I really loathe, they asked all the married people to stand up and renew their vows at this time if they wanted to. So naturally, you might not want to do that in someone else''s church, but most of the married people felt obligated to stand up and do it. So weird, I thought.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ours was a nonreligious ceremony that was around 20 mins too (that might have included walking). I am ALL about short ceremonies but 3 mins seems VERY fast! Our vows alone took 3 mins to say

 

[snlee]

Wow, talk about short wedding ceremony! You''d think with all the details they would want it longer than a minute!

I had a non-religious ceremony and it lasted about 10-15 minutes, including the walking. I just went to look at our wedding DVD to time the ceremony. Haha. It was 13 minutes, my favorite number!

 

[Liquiddazi]

Wow... really 3 mins? I am some what impressed!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Please find out more...I am most intrigued.

I think the chairs were free if they were returned within the hour.

DKS

 

[Fancy605]

Wow! 3 min is short. I am thinking that ours will be about 15 min from the time parents start walking in to the time we leave the church. Our officiant says it will take closer to 20, but I just don''t see how unless he speaks painfully slowly (which I know he doesn''t tend to do.)

 

[monarch64]

Wow! That is the shortest ceremony I''ve ever heard of, I''m amazed! I think ours took 20 minutes and I thought that was short, lol! This reminds me of that Bud Light commercial where the officiant is an auctioneer and all the guests rush out of their chairs after the 10-second ceremony to head for the bottles-of-Bud-Light fountain, it''s pretty funny!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 6/25/2007 9:07:01 AM
Author:IslandDreams

It was definitely the SHORTEST ceremony every especially since everything else was rather formal and elaborate. The minister was from the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons I think). There was absolutely nothing said other than the ''Do you so and so take so & So'' stuff. No message to the couple nothing. Just really strange.

Its possible if they are LDS that this was just a show for non-lds friends and family because if they are lds then it is HIGHLY likely that they will be sealed in temple and *that* is the sacred rite of passage that will mean the most to them and non LDS persons cannot be permitted in temple. Typically I''ve seen where couples are sealed prior to their wedding for show but sometimes it goes the other way.... sometimes couples from very devout families don''t even bother for a non-temple ceremony but they sometimes do have a party.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 6/25/2007 12:00:44 PM
Author: IslandDreams
I don''t know if they go to Temple. She is from the Latter Day Saints church. He is Roman Catholic. I am pretty sure he didn''t convert....

I just thought it was strange because it seemed like a lot of money to spend for 60 seconds. But I guess if it worked for them than that''s just fine.

They can''t be sealed if he is catholic - you get sealed in the temple and a non-lds cannot even go in the temple.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 6/29/2007 12:27:50 AM
Author: door knob solitaire
Please find out more...I am most intrigued.

I think the chairs were free if they were returned within the hour.

DKS

you have such a marvelous sense of humor