by Fay Jacobs
With the proliferation of books on gay and lesbian commitment ceremonies, there are a whole lot of ideas floating around for terrific wedding plans.
But one idea I havent seen is a wedding that was literally floating around.
Bonnie and I were delighted to be asked to take part in a very low key, very small, very, very lovely wedding two weeks agowith the brides exchanging vows on a pontoon boat anchored in the middle of (where else) Love Creek.
And, as weddings go, this one was very special.
First, you gotta meet the happy coupletwo young women from New York whose passion, apart from each other, includes Mets, Jets, Knicks and the NY Liberty womens basketball teamplus a steadfast refusal to go anywhere running shoes and shorts arent welcome.
It was a sneakers and baseball cap kind of wedding.
But not all wedding traditions were bypassed. The brides ordered a stunning garland of lilies nestled in ferns from Jim Beauter at Bayberry Flowers, chose just the right music, and spent a great deal of time writing their special vows.
When finding a clergy person to conduct a bi-religious, same-sex marriage proved daunting, the women took the advice of two unimpeachable sources: a lay minister who said that exchanging vows in the company of loving witnesses was more than sufficient andthis cinched ita line from TVs Mad About You (uttered by Lyle Lovett, no less) that "people marry each other, the minister is just there to witness it for the state." Enuf said. Besides, boat captains are authorized to perform weddings.
This particular captain, a cousin to one of the brides, hedged his bets by putting on dress whites and purchasing an official captains hat from The Captains Cottage in Mariners Square, the new shopping area between Dos Locos and Something Special.
The pontoon boat left the dock over by the Rehoboth Yacht and Country Club heading for Rehoboth Bay, with the brides, the captain and his long-time first mate (clutching a stash of Kleenex for the occasion), the two witnesses (one doubling as photographer) and their dog.
And yes, there was something old (me), something new (that captains hat), something borrowed (the dogs life jacket courtesy of Critter Beach) and something blue (take your pick, the brides Mets t-shirt, the sky or the water).
Once the anchor was set, the wedding party began festooning the floral garland on the boats canopy, and spraying the delicate flowers (and occasionally each other) with water to keep them bloomingall to the accompaniment of music by the Gipsy Kings.
Slightly impatient with the pace of preparations, one bride was overheard saying, "Hurry up with this or well have the ceremonial throwing of the bride in the water."
Not having come to a decision yet on wedding bands, the brides chose N.Y. Knicks pins as a surrogate and my dog as the pin bearer. He kept them pinned to his life jacket awaiting the big moment.
Which went something like this:
On Sunday Aug. 3, two girls in love were married in the presence of family and friends under a cascading floral canopy aboard a pontoon craft anchored at the mouth of Love Creek off Rehoboth Bay. Captain Bob officiated at the double Knicks pin ceremony.
The wedding vows, both poetry and prose composed by the brides, included heartfelt appreciation that theyd found each other, promises of a future of love and caring, and references to Seinfeld, team colors, Bonnie Raitt lyrics and more.
The brides were attended by a photographer trying to remember not to take a step back for a wider shot, her misty-eyed spouse, a first mate clutching a packet of tissues and Max the wonder attendant.
The bride wore SPF 30 sunscreen, an Adult-Medium T-shirt with a N.Y. Mets screened bodice, flowing blue shorts and Asics footwear, while the other bride walked down the deck barefoot, wearing a short-sleeved Grand Canyon T-shirt with a scoop neckline, and tea-length tan shorts. Immediately following the ceremony, and the traditional stomping of the glass, the brides had a first dance to "It Might Be You" from Tootsie. Then the first mate popped the cork on a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne and served hors doeuvres.
Upon returning to shore, the wedding party celebrated with dinner at Celsius on Wilmington Avenue, where restauranteurs M. J. Stanton and Jean-Luc Charpentier provided a fine dining experience and congratulatory wishessentiments echoed by the other patrons in the dining room.
The couple will continue to reside in Tarrytown, N.Y. with frequent (we hope) trips to Rehoboth.
And the Captain and crew are seriously considering going into business with Weddings Are Us, a new Rehoboth tradition. Bring your own champagne, your own dog, and of course, your own boyfriend or girlfriend.
And leave the driving to us.
[ Previous Story | Back to Top | Next Story ]
8/22/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.