The Wedding Day

This was by far the most hectic day, and I wouldn’t expect anything different from a ceremony that begins the life of two people together until one of them dies.
It started off nice enough with breakfast made courtesy of Jerry at the reasonable hour of noon. Afterwards, Justin then thanked us all for being his groomsmen and coming down to Florida to share this experience with him.

It should be noted that Justin and Lucy wanted a beach wedding, and it had been raining for the past day and a half. But lo and behold, around 1pm, the clouds parted and the sun beamed through the sky. With a couple of hours of free time, we set out for the beach to play in the waves and sand.

The purple flag was raised, which represents “dangerous marine life.” Jacob and Jamie looked hopeful; they were bound and determined to catch and kill a shark. After all, some one was needed to protect innocent little girls and boys from being eaten by those ravenous beasts. I avoided the water for the most part, leaving the hunting to those two, and finding pleasure in burying Josh up to his neck in sand and abandoning him there. Ironically, he became the talking head that scared little girls and boys of the beach entirely.

Somehow Josh worked himself free, and he then joined Jacob and Jaime in the hunt for dangerous marine life. All they came across was a family of jelly fish which they tried to run aground. Unfortunately, Jeb, Tim, Lily, and Ursela, were better contenders than anticipated. Although Josh was unscathed, Jacob and Jamie received several painful rashes resembling the itchiness of fiberglass insulation.

Once we came in, Justin was in a panic to leave. He tried his best to rush Josh, since Josh was responsible for playing a couple of songs that evening. Josh was by far the most comical in his tux, though no fault of his own. The jacket ended up being an inch above his knees (compared to 3-4in on the rest of us). Justin’s panic was either unfounded, or succeeded in getting us to the needed destination well before the needed time.

Beach weddings typically start at 6pm, and under normal circumstances this is the time that most people vacate the beach. Due to the weather, this was not the case. People were so excited that the sun finally came out, that they stayed on the beach well past 7. This resulted in a huge audience for Justin and Lucy. In the middle of the ceremony, a drunk stopped about 10 feet behind the pastor and looked like he was about to ask the pastor what the entire hubbub was about. Fortunately for all involved, he thought better of it.

Jacob was in fine form. He was fully focused, and had both Lucy’s ring and the pay check for the minister, the two things that people were concerned about him forgetting. Once Justin kissed his bride and the recessional was finished, wedding pictures began. Almost immediately we realized how hot tuxes can be, and the pictures were cut somewhat short.

During the reception, it was decided that instead of going to Pensacola, Justin and Lucy would be staying at room114 (our room) for the night. We also learned that Justin’s family was locked out of their second floor condo. The following events will probably entitle four of us to the claim of “Best Grooms Men Ever.” You may call me bold and arrogant, but I’m not speaking only of myself, but of a group of astounding men.

After accepting our mission, the pastry relating the urgent message self-destructed, and we divided into two teams. Josh and I went to unlock the condo and retrieve the two hotel card keys, while Jamie and Jacob went directly to the Holiday Inn to convince the man behind the desk to give us another key, and if possible, clean the room.

Josh and I, being in the BMW, sped to the family’s weekend residence. A couple of astounding downshifts took place, and we even thought about illegally passing a sheriff on the shoulder. When we arrived, we hid among the shadows and bushes, waiting for the most opportune time to scale the wall onto the balcony. Not even James Bond himself could’ve been cooler. Once inside, we unlocked the doors and found the card keys. I switched out my tux shoes for the more reliable and versatile (and equally stylish) Chacos. We then raced for the hotel, doing at least one 180 degree turn and searched for our friends, expecting the worst.

You see, that room had been occupied by six guys for two nights. We refused room service on both mornings. Krispy Kreme donuts were on the floor, alongside wet towels, swimsuits, and dirty laundry. Beds had not been made. The bathroom was less than sanitary. A male stench pervaded the area than can only be known through experience, which those who have played sports would have much of. And we didn’t even know if our men were able to make into the room. The Bride and Groom could be arriving at any moment.

To our relief, Jamie had much experience working against secret police in various nations across the world (you think I’m kidding), and was able to use those tactics to gain access to our room, without the keys Josh and I had retrieved. Not only that, but when we arrived, the room was spotless. All the trash was thrown away. Dirty laundry was packed in each owner’s respective suit case and removed from the room. Jacob really balled up and cleaned the bathroom, toilet and all. Josh, with his Wolverine-like nose, picked up the smell of…roses. Jacob and Jamie sacrificed their boutonnières and used those petals to decorate the marriage bed.

All right, so some exaggeration just took place, but it makes a good story. We didn’t really think about the rose petals until a couple of hours after the fact (we’re going to be bitter about it for years to come). But Josh and I really did break into a second story condominium, and Jacob and Jamie really did get into that hotel room and clean it till it was spotless. We decided that our night could be the next BMW film or Fast and Furious 3 (Jacob was driving a two door Civic).

Justin and Lucy’s wedding definitely made the list of top 3 weekends of my life. I’ll have memories of this time for years to come. I quickly bonded with Justin’s other groomsmen, and realized that he has some of the best and most solid friends (I’ll probably be attending some of their weddings). I’m excited that Justin and Lucy have found each other, and it was a true blessing and honor to witness their wedding. I pray that their love for each other will continue to grow, and that the Lord will use them in amazing ways, both here and abroad.