The final wedding
Just home from taking my last wedding. At one stage wondered whether it would ever happen since twenty minutes before the service was due to start, no one had arrived. No guests, no groom, no best man and no orders of service.
Still, they eventually sauntered up. Then it was the turn of the photographers. They took a quarter of an hour snapping the bride and bridesmaids at the lych gate, while I twiddled my thumbs.
When at last the service started (very late) it went well. The bride was beautiful, the bridegroom handsome and even the two small page boys behaved well. And the bride and groom had even thought to bring with them a card wishing me a happy retirement. I’m amazed and touched that they found the time to do that.
I hugged Joe the organist (aged 87) and gave him a kiss since we probably won’t meet again. Tomorrow night’s big farewell service is in a different church.
I popped to the rectory, just down the road, picked up one message on the answer phone and a load of cards from the doormat. Then it was back to our new home, a bungalow just half an hour’s drive away and just outside Norwich.
Tonight the family are coming over for a birthday dinner and tomorrow night they are all coming to the farewell service.
Then that’s it. Goodbye to Rocking Rectory.