Friday, March 12, 2010

The Wedding Organizer

As a white man planning a wedding in Liberia, I am getting the inside track on what elements are absolutely necessary for two people to be united in holy matrimony. A few weeks ago my fiancee and I had one of our first meetings with our wedding organizer.
Every wedding needs an organizer to do things like book the reception hall, find a caterer, and get decorations. The purpose of the organizer is to take stress away from the couple so that they can enjoy their big day. (Imagine J-Lo--only without the headset or clipboard or organizational skills or chance that the groom is going to fall for her after she rides a horse.) So what do they get in return for all of this hard work? The glory of having their name printed in the program as Chief Organizer. For the average Liberian, there is nothing more exhilarating than having your name printed in a bulletin. This seems to be the pinnacle of achievement. Maybe I am just too humble, but if I had helped with someone's wedding, a simple "thank you" would probably do it.
So that brings us to our organizer, one of my fiancee's aunts. She seems like a nice enough lady, but I am already getting the feeling that she is lacking in some organizational areas. I have already had to take over the booking of the reception because she took too long. I also booked the church, got the photographer, and I am importing the disposable dishes we need for the reception. I can only imagine what is next. I am seriously considering putting my name in as Co-Chief Organizer of my own wedding.

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