My daughter's favorite movie is "The Princess Bride." She and most of her friends have watched it numerous times. They've even been known to have Princess Bride parties.
My daughter was married a couple of years ago. She always planned that her dad would perform the ceremony, and she asked him to begin the rehearsal with the speech of "the clergyman" pictured in the meme below. As the rehearsal was about to start, she reminded her dad, "Don't forget what we're gonna do, Dad. Remember?" Dad said, "Huh, what are you talking about?" "YOU KNOW DAD, don't you?" Her rather stuffy pastor came up at that point with a direction, so the conversation was dropped. The rehearsal went well, except that afterwards the bride came up to me and lamented, "Oh, Mom, I'm so disappointed. Dad forgot he was supposed to do the clergyman lines from Princess Bride. How could he forget that? We've talked about it so many times!"
Next day the music played softly, the candles were lit, friends and family arrived and were seated. The guests included ministers and elderly missionaries, several Wiccans, a girl in leopard tights accompanied by her spike-haired biker boyfriend, several Goths, two guys in wheel chairs (residents of a group home where the Bride had worked), professors, a man covered with tattoos and more. It was the most eclectic group of guests I've ever seen at a wedding.
The bride, in an elaborate gown with a long train, entered on her father's arm and processed down the aisle to the strains of Bach. The pastor spoke a very formal charge to the groom. Then he stepped aside and Dad placed Daughter's hand in Groom's hand and stepped to the front. The bride's brother, a groomsman, wiped a tear away.
The hush was broken by the words, spoken with great solemnity, "Mawwaaaaage...is what bwings us tegeddah today..."
The congregation gasped in disbelief, and then erupted with laughter. Daughter's mouth dropped, and then she burst into laughter too. After we all regained our composer the wedding commenced. It was a very lovely wedding, all in all, rich with personal reflection, prayer, testimony of God's grace, and sweet joy.
The pastor wasn't happy though. He did not attend the reception. We had a wonderful time dancing (shhhh...don't tell...chuckle) by candlelight and eating chocolate-covered strawberries in the park pavillion. No wedding cake, just wonderful finger desserts. Daughter never wants to be particularly traditional. She did want her father to give her away though. But that is another subject.
A lot of people who probably tend to believe that Christian's are prissy and stiff found out differently. At least that day!
My daughter and her husband now attend an "emergent" AG church in Minneapolis. Take a look at Church in Uptown.
