8/26/2015 Wednesday
This was a special day: Lauri and Chuck (Miller) from Free Spirit decided to get married today. Actually they made the decision last night at the Mango restaurant after the girls went out sailing on a 70 foot traditional island catamaran. The cats are gorgeous. There are about 6 from each of the countries down here that have sailed around the Pacific Rim over the last few years. They teach traditional sailing and navigation to keep the knowledge base and skill set alive. They use 16 crew making exchanges after major legs. It is an impressive boat and program. Ours was moored at the dock in front of the bar. And we were privileged to have the first female captain. Fleets of these boats sailed together to settle all these islands, originally coming from the far West.

I suspect that the afternoon sail had some role in the wedding date because the captain was persuaded to let the boat be the venue for the wedding. So there was a mad dash to prepare things over the evening, night and the next morning for the noon wedding. It was great fun. Can you imagine being married in the Kingdom of Tonga on a traditional Polynesian catamaran? That's gotta be unique.

Everyone got together to decorate the cat with flowers, etc. They sourced traditional Tongan garments for the bride and groom. All they needed was a minister to perform the ceremony. The girls talked to captain, but she said she would be too nervous. Can you imagine having sailed all around the edge of the pacific ocean being "too nervous"? Anyway, someone (perhaps Wendy and Rose) decided that they would get another captain--mentioning that I was a captain. So the bride to be, my wife and good friend Rose approached me at the bar that night with a favor to ask. We (mostly Craig on El Sogne and Baker) had just come back from towing in Second Wind (Art and Nancy Shaw recently of Bellingham on a local Nodic 44) with a bad transmission from outside the island. So, three sets of cow eyes saying "no pressure, you can say no". I ask, "to what?". "You're a captain?". "Yes---.". "Lauri and Chuck are getting married tomorrow.". "That's great; congratulations!"
"Would you perform the ceremony?". "Excuse me.". "Well, you are a Captain so you would you do this?" Faced with this simply request and the cow eyes, I'm thinking are you completely nuts you want me to perform a wedding ceremony on someone else's vessel, not on the open sea outside any other country's territorial waters. This isn't going to work. But I ask, "Do you have a ceremony prepared? (thinking-- this would end it)". "No, but don't you have one in your Captain's book; we don't need anything fancy; we'd be so appreciative.".
Anyway, after long moments for me, but in reality probably a few seconds, I foolishly said yes; appending my affirmation with an "I make no representation that this will work or meet your expectations". [Do I have ministerial malpractice insurance?? Does it exist?? Can I get it between now and tomorrow?? And how does Wendy rope me into these things time and time again!!]
So, a yes it is. No ceremony available; no authority, but everyone is delighted and goes back to the important things like clothes and flowers.
Needless to say, I progressively became more and more uncomfortable with the validity of this concept that " a Captain can whimsically go out and marry folks" in a foreign country, at a dock on someone else's vessel. So the next day, I get up early and start gathering my thoughts. I think, I have attended a lot of weddings including my own--I could probably do this. I've got 3 hours to put it together. So what are the necessary parts of a wedding ceremony. Well, we have the vows that's an important part; probably some opening statement welcoming the attendees; some personal note about how the bride and groom met and fell in love; something about rings; then the "by the powers vested in me by the traditional laws of the sea as a Captain on someone else boat at this dock I pronounce you man and wife.".

At this point, I remember that while I have attended a lot of weddings including my own, like most men, I really don't remember much about them excepting the above. It's just the way we are wired. And, I just met Lauri and Chuck last night. I really don't know anything personal about them.
Then it came to me ---Ciro, our good friend and crew from PV to the Marquisas was always talking about marrying people. I recalled that, while in real life he was a retired customs supervisor, he claimed to be an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church. This was a credential he received "on line". I asked myself does this have possibilities for me?
The clock is ticking so I hop in the dingy and head for shore and the internet. The clear mission statement is: get an outline of a wedding ceremony and check out the possibility of adding some kind of credential in addition to "ceremonial captain on someone else's boat on a dock".
After perusing wedding.com, non-traditional weddings.com and biblical wedding.com (mostly to see if I was getting myself into trouble with the high power) and two or three other sites, I get a simple outline and discover that I had, in fact, left out a few important parts. With the outline in hand, I move to step two--the Universal Life Church--please let me be remembering the name correctly.
The internet was still working (an infrequent condition) and there it is the Universal Life Church ministries. As a drill down I find the question, "Do you want to be an ordained minister?" Oh, yes I do; for at least today. And there it is--fill out this form and we will send you an email with a certificate verifying that you are an ordained minister with the universal life church. I follow the directions carefully, very carefully. And low and behold an email arrives moments later hot off the press memorializing for all time (it's the internet) that I am in fact now an ordained minister accepted my state of Washington and California and other places (I recalled Chuck was from California). Enough, you're on a roll; don't ask too many questions.
It's now 9:30 and I have only to write a ceremony and then meet the bride and groom at 11:30 to pick up some personal information. I'm in familiar territory now--draft something moving, respectful, personal and engaging--- and don't blow it.
Well, we didn't arrive until close to noon but I had a ceremony in hand; not bad for a first attempt. Hopefully I won't spoil their day or embarrass myself. And I'm excited to tell Lauri and Chuck that I have in fact been an ordained minister for more than 2 hours now.
The Event:
The boat was amazing; well it is amazing anyway, but decked out with flower and woven palm fronds it was clearly a cut above. The bride and groom were clearly ready. And so was I - after a fashion. The day was a bit overcast--improving the photography and reducing the temperature a bit. The ceremony seemed to go off without a hitch. I'm sure, for my small part, I was buoyed up by the fact that Lauri and Chuck were plainly in love, committed to each other and a lovely couple. I raised few tears I'm told from women and some men alike, and a bit of laughter. I reflected on the words I wrote and made a mental note "that I could do a little better as a husband "kiss her every day, never forget to hold hands, never go to bed mad....".
But all and all a unique wedding birthed in 18 hours. "it just takes a bay of cruisers and an engaged group of Tongas to make a special memory".
People were very generous with their reflections on the ceremony always asking how long I had been doing this; one couple decided to get married and asked if they could get a copy of my service. In the end, Lauri and Chuck celebrated their love, and I celebrated my relief. THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES---