This week, a soldier stationed in Afghanistan called his bride in California to get married. I'm not talking about a proposal, but the actual vows, transmitted through a receiver. Army Specialist Randall Blake is serving a one year tour of duty overseas, but wanted so badly to wed the girl he left behind, Sarah Brown, they figured out a way to make it happen. Instead of walking down the aisle, Brown went to her California county Vital Statistics office with Blake's mom who served as his power of attorney. Blake dialed into the ceremony as Brown clutched his mother's hand. A retired police chief served as their officiant. Everyone was happy.
Imagine that. No debt, no meltdowns, no posing for hired photographers in totally inauthentic embraces by a water fountain, no bridal party feuds, no $10,000 flower arrangements, no first dance to a duet by Cher and Peter Cetera, no obsessive dieting to fit into a gown, no gown at all. Not even a groom. And still, one of the more romantic ceremonies on record.
Much like the first same-sex weddings that took place recently in New York, the more barriers to a marriage, the less bells and whistles required to make the day "memorable". It's enough just to be saying vows, even over the phone. Or over Skype, which is what one bride did when her groom contracted a tuberculosis last March. He was trapped in an isolation unit at an Orange County hospital, so they decided to skip the hoopla they had planned and say 'I do' via live-feed.
Now I'm a sucker for a Bridezilla reality show, but I'd much rather watch the world's most scaled down weddings that almost didn't happen than the world's most upscale ventures that probably won't last.
Imagine that. No debt, no meltdowns, no posing for hired photographers in totally inauthentic embraces by a water fountain, no bridal party feuds, no $10,000 flower arrangements, no first dance to a duet by Cher and Peter Cetera, no obsessive dieting to fit into a gown, no gown at all. Not even a groom. And still, one of the more romantic ceremonies on record.
Much like the first same-sex weddings that took place recently in New York, the more barriers to a marriage, the less bells and whistles required to make the day "memorable". It's enough just to be saying vows, even over the phone. Or over Skype, which is what one bride did when her groom contracted a tuberculosis last March. He was trapped in an isolation unit at an Orange County hospital, so they decided to skip the hoopla they had planned and say 'I do' via live-feed.
Now I'm a sucker for a Bridezilla reality show, but I'd much rather watch the world's most scaled down weddings that almost didn't happen than the world's most upscale ventures that probably won't last.
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