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I met with the couple at their home several weeks later to see the venue of the party. It was a beautiful home with a huge outside verandah overlooking the water and a perfect spot for a party, or indeed a wedding. As I approached the house a young woman of about 21 was packing a removalist's truck with her belongings and was quite intrigued as to who I was, fortunately the groom-to-be hurried out, took one look at me and introduced me as his long lost cousin! This was the youngest daughter from Hell.
We proceeded inside the house and sat out on the verandah, filled in for NOIM form, cited the appropriate papers and started planning the way they were going to 'surprise' the guests.
The plan was for me to arrive around 8pm (guests had been invited to the 60th for 7pm) and I was to mix with the guests and pretend I was groom's long lost cousin. At the appropriate time the bride took her 3 year old grand-daughter's hand and started to hand out beautiful envelopes, telling the guests not to open until she told them. The three year old grand daughter was not pleased with Gran, the envelopes, her pretty dress or any of the guests as she was tired and needed to go to bed (W C Fields was right about small children and animals).
So I mixed as well as I could, this wasn't too easy as all the guests knew each other very well and couldn't quite see where I fitted in. Anyway at the appropriate time the bride and groom nodded to me and we gathered around a small table with a long table-cloth covering my briefcase and the wedding cake, the groom shouted "Open the envelopes" and as the guests proceeded to open them they found a very romantic photo of bride and groom and assumed that they had married secretly.
There was a huge "OOOOH" from the guests and the bride hushed the crowd and introduced me as the marriage celebrant and informed them that they were about to get married. At this point the 'daughter from Hell' flounced off in high dudgeon not wanting to be any part of the ceremony. It took several minutes to calm the daughter (not to mention the three year old) down and then the ceremony took place.
It was a lovely ceremony and the bride and groom had written a little speech to each other and sent it to me so that it was also a 'surprise' for their partner during the ceremony. The older daughter and the bride's son were the happy witnesses and were delighted and happy for their Mum. Younger daughter came around eventually.
I don't think surprise weddings are a good idea at the best of times because so many things can go wrong - but this was so well planned and a very good time was had by all.
Kae Ohlsson
Marriage, Family and Funeral Celebrant
Sydney NSW
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