posted
Recently, my choir sang at a wedding. This isn't unusual, as it is a church choir. However, two things annoyed me.
First, that they bothered to call in the choir when they were only going to have us sing two very simple praise songs in unison with the guests. The more musically interesting of the two was "He has the whole world in his hands", which I associate more with 2nd grade Sunday School classes than with weddings. They could have done just as well without the choir there, and saved some money in the process. I mean, it's their wedding, so they can spend all the money they want... but as a member of the choir, I found it frustrating to have to show up just so the choir stalls weren't empty. Normally, singing for weddings is a joy, but not when the choir is completely unnecessary except for appearances.
The other thing which bugged the hell out of me (and which is alluded to in the title) is that they got the name of the church wrong on the programs. The church is "Saint John the Baptist Church", and they wrote "Saint Johns Baptist Church". It's not a baptist church. It's an Anglican church with St. John the Baptist for a patron. I know, easy mistake to make... but the bride and groom were present in the church for three sundays while their banns of marriage were posted, and attended several pre-marital counciling sessions, and likely had contractual papers stating the proper name of the church, and the proper name is on the sign out front. Add to it that not only did they get the name wrong, but in getting it wrong they left out a vital apostraphe ("Saint Johns Baptist"), and my inner pedant screams.
There are a couple other gripes I had with the ceremony, but as they're matters of taste that don't impact me, I won't go into them. It's their wedding, planned to their tastes. I'm sure some people would have been able to gripe about some of the choices I made for my wedding. But getting the name of the church wrong is inexcusable.
Posts: 494 | From: Epping, Essex, UK | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
It was quiet possibly the print shops error... i didnt get my programs till the day before the wedding.
I was Married at St. Nectarious church... The progrma stated St. Necropilos.
Posts: 62 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Sep 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Not_Done_Living: It was quiet possibly the print shops error... i didnt get my programs till the day before the wedding.
I was Married at St. Nectarious church... The progrma stated St. Necropilos.
I also vote last minute printing error. I was married at St. Thomas More, and, if not for the fact we did them early (and got it fixed), it was almost St. Thomas Moore on the invitations.
-------------------- And now for something completely different... Posts: 4164 | From: Alabama | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
NDL*, I also got married at a St. John the Baptist Church (RC, though) and we had a couple of people who really needed the whole name spelled out. For the invitations, we ended up writing out the full name of the church, despite the lengthiness - St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church - to try and avoid confusion.
*ETA: Oops! I meant for this to go to Silkenwraith! Where's my coffee this morning?
posted
We noticed only after we sent them out that the invitations DW and I created for our wedding gave the time as "one o'colck." No one to blame but ourselves. I don't think anyone really noticed, though.
Back more toward the OP, I think a lot of people have trouble with place names where there's a "the" stuck in the middle. I used to live on a "Round the Pond Road" (as in the road literally goes 'round a pond) I would tell someone my address for the first time, and about two-thirds of the time they would make a confused expression and repeat "Round Pond Road?" back to me.
Posts: 48 | From: near Portland, Maine | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
There's so many details that go along with planning a wedding, that there's bound to be something that's not quite right...if the goofs at my wedding are as minor as misspelling something, I'll be happy.
-------------------- If you say you love ice cream, you better be dreaming of an orgy with Ben, Jerry, and one fine-ass chunky monkey.
-- My sister and poet extraordinaire, Joanna Hoffman Posts: 1475 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Jan 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Not_Done_Living: It was quiet possibly the print shops error... i didnt get my programs till the day before the wedding.
I was Married at St. Nectarious church... The progrma stated St. Necropilos.
The programs were clearly designed in Microsoft Word, so... any error is of the original writer.
Posts: 494 | From: Epping, Essex, UK | Registered: Sep 2005
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Rhiandmoi
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
But the original writer is not necessarily either of the people getting married. Putting together the program is a great job to give to Great Aunt BizzyBee.
-------------------- I think that hyperbole is the single greatest factor contributing to the decline of society. - My friend Pat.
quote:Originally posted by Rhiandmoi: But the original writer is not necessarily either of the people getting married. Putting together the program is a great job to give to Great Aunt BizzyBee.
But what id Great Aunt BizzyBee is also known (but not by you) as Ms. JackDainiels?
ETA:Notice all the typos in these posts?
ETA2: In the rush up to the wedding, I could easily see someone "reading" 'Saint John the Baptist Church' when the words were actually 'Saint Johns Baptist Church'. People sometimes read what they want to read.
-------------------- And now for something completely different... Posts: 4164 | From: Alabama | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:Originally posted by James of Maine: We noticed only after we sent them out that the invitations DW and I created for our wedding gave the time as "one o'colck." No one to blame but ourselves. I don't think anyone really noticed, though.
Could have been much worse...
quote:Originally posted by James of Maine: Back more toward the OP, I think a lot of people have trouble with place names where there's a "the" stuck in the middle. I used to live on a "Round the Pond Road" (as in the road literally goes 'round a pond) I would tell someone my address for the first time, and about two-thirds of the time they would make a confused expression and repeat "Round Pond Road?" back to me.
I grew up near "Graham Road", where a railway bridge goes across the road near a curve in it. The land there has recently been much dug up for the channel tunnel rail link - with the work site sporting a (professionally made) sign giving the location as "Graham's Road Curve". It drives me mad. I don't know who Graham was, but I'm pretty sure that just because the road was named after him it doesn't mean he owns a curve in it.
My favourite story about people getting directions wrong comes from my mother. She invited a friend to her house for the first time, telling her that it was house number X on the road, and to ring the bottom bell (the house is split into 2 flats) - the woman walked round and round the area looking for "Bottom Bell Road".
[/complete hijack] (Well it's an excuse to post, share a funny story, and try out another halloween icon )
Victoria J
-------------------- Post accompanied by maniacal laughter. Posts: 577 | From: London, UK | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Off the point a bit here, but would a typical UK person know the difference between a baptist church and a (modern) Anglican church? And secondly would it create a problem for anyone? I've attended a few weddings in my time and the actual denomination is largely irrelevant.
Note: I'm talking "audience" here - maybe to the actual celebrants it might be important.
-------------------- "Endeavour to persevere" Posts: 104 | From: Gravesend, UK | Registered: Dec 2005
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When I was a child, I had a teacher misspell my last name in creating a computer login for me.
I still do not understand why, even after double checking, he thought "Young" was spelled "Youge."
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ETA: hijack tags
-------------------- Most writers don't actually think of themselves as God. --Orson Scott Card Posts: 35 | From: New York | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Silkenwraith, I do invitations, programs, cards, etc. professionally. I use word processing programs (such as Word, Word Perfect, MS Publishing, etc.) all the time. Just because it was created in Word doesn't mean it wasn't professionally done. Most print shops use word processing software any more, unless you want to pay a lot more to have something typeset.
Now, I do send out proofs prior to printing, but that sort of mistake would be an easy one to make and to overlook. It is also possible that the information was put in there that way with the intention of looking up and correcting to the proper name, but the correction was never done.
I once did a draft wedding invitation for a friend of mine. I didn't know the groom's last name (I always knew him by his first name, just never knew any more than that), so I referred to him as "[firstname] Whatshisname" on the invitation. My friend thought that was so funny, we still refer to them as Mr. & Mrs. Whatshisname. It could ahve been worse, though -- "The Dude You're Marrying" didn't fit ont he line!
-------------------- Like every good third-in-a-series it contains a whole load of ewoks, ‘Clubber’ Lang, whey-faced Sophia Coppola, Sean Connery as the Pirate Captain’s estranged dad, a crappy CGI alien, and Richard Pryor on a donkey. -- Gideon Defoe Posts: 2211 | From: Harford County, MD | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Cestrian: Off the point a bit here, but would a typical UK person know the difference between a baptist church and a (modern) Anglican church?
Why wouldn't they?
quote:And secondly would it create a problem for anyone?
Well, if there is a "Saint John the Baptist Anglican Church" and a "Saint John's Baptist Church" in the same area, it could create a big problem.
quote:I've attended a few weddings in my time and the actual denomination is largely irrelevant.
That hasn't been my experience. Maybe it depends on which denominations we're talking about: the differences between some are greater than the differences between others, if you know what I mean.
A wedding service at a "high-church" Anglican church might be quite different from one at, say, a Pentecostal church. And some Catholic weddings include a full mass.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Cestrian: Off the point a bit here, but would a typical UK person know the difference between a baptist church and a (modern) Anglican church? And secondly would it create a problem for anyone? I've attended a few weddings in my time and the actual denomination is largely irrelevant.
Note: I'm talking "audience" here - maybe to the actual celebrants it might be important.
Well I'm not going to be much use here. My mother is/was (sort of) Catholic and my only real experience of religion is attending Catholic school until age 11 (and a recent interst in the Quakers). I actually attended Saint John the Baptist primary school
We clearly do have some Baptist Churches here. But round here you can find almost any sort of place of worship. My bus journey into work takes me pass at least 3 denominations of churches (one is Welsh !), a Hindu temple, a Mosque, and goes very near a Mormon church, and Quaker meeting place. And those are just the ones I've noticed.
ETA - I also know there are active baptist churches because my colleague got a charitable grant from a local baptist charity for a (non-baptist) client. Incidentally they required a signature from her "parish priest" without caring what denomination, or whether she attended.
I don't think many people would object to where a wedding was held (unless they were close family and had issues with someone marrying outside the same faith) - but lots of people will get married in church without being regular church goers.
Personally I remain hugely confused within any church.
Victoria J
-------------------- Post accompanied by maniacal laughter. Posts: 577 | From: London, UK | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
I think its probably a case of the couple nor really caring. I doubt they went to chruch regularly, an possibly weren't even really Christian. My experience of religion in the UK is that it often has a role that is traditional, rather than religious. Certainly their choice of hymm suggests that this may very well be the case. It may be that there choice to do it in a church rather than a registry wasn't a religious one, but rather more of a desire for a 'traditional wedding.'
quote:Originally posted by James G.: I think its probably a case of the couple nor really caring. I doubt they went to chruch regularly, an possibly weren't even really Christian.
Wow. That's quite an assumption to make about somebody you don't even know, based solely on what may have been a typo -- especially since we have no way of knowing who was actually responsible for the typo.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
It's probably based on statistical observations rather than just the typo. The vast majority of weddings I have attended in the UK have been in churches. I would only identify one of the couples as being church-going Christians.
-------------------- ~~Ai am in mai prrrrrraime!~~ Posts: 10111 | From: Oklahoma | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Glowy Chloe: It's probably based on statistical observations rather than just the typo. The vast majority of weddings I have attended in the UK have been in churches. I would only identify one of the couples as being church-going Christians.
I understand taht, and for the record, many of the USians who get married in churches are not church-goers, either. That's been discussed here in the past.
The fact remains that none of us, including Silkenwraith, actually knows this couple. We don't know how they feel about religion or the church they chose for their marriage. We don't know how the typo happened or how they felt about it.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Ooh, I forgot to mention, I did the programs for DH's niece's wedding. And misspelled the name fo the flower girl, which my SIL caught in the draft I sent over. Not too bad, until you consider that she was MY OWN DAUGHTER!!!
-------------------- Like every good third-in-a-series it contains a whole load of ewoks, ‘Clubber’ Lang, whey-faced Sophia Coppola, Sean Connery as the Pirate Captain’s estranged dad, a crappy CGI alien, and Richard Pryor on a donkey. -- Gideon Defoe Posts: 2211 | From: Harford County, MD | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
I think it's rather ironic that almost every post in this thread has contained at least one typographical error. Maybe that couple should be given the benefit of the doubt.
-------------------- "If God wrote it, the grammar must be infallible. Perhaps it is we who are mistaken." -MapleLeaf Posts: 977 | From: Boston, MA | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Cestrian: Off the point a bit here, but would a typical UK person know the difference between a baptist church and a (modern) Anglican church?
Why wouldn't they?
Religion isn't exactly a big thing over here. I know that there's a difference because I was brought up in a strict Church of England setting rather than a Baptist setting, but I have no idea what the differences actually are between the two denominations. Or any other Protestant denominations, for that matter.
-------------------- Silence should never under any circumstances be construed as agreement. A lot of the time, it's simply a reflection that someone just said something so stupid that no response could possibly do it justice. - Ramblin' Dave Posts: 8528 | From: Nottingham, England | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
Just out of interest, Silkenwraith, what was the less interesting hymn?
As far as having the choir support the congretation's singing is concerned, I'm all for it. I have had the misfortune of attending weddings where most of the guests had little or no singing talent*, and it has been painful. Possibly the worst was one where the priest actually made the congregation sing the second hymn again, because they weren't trying hard enough
*Not that I am one to criticise. I can't sing for toffee.
Posts: 2370 | From: Arabia | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Cestrian: Off the point a bit here, but would a typical UK person know the difference between a baptist church and a (modern) Anglican church?
Why wouldn't they?
Religion isn't exactly a big thing over here. I know that there's a difference because I was brought up in a strict Church of England setting rather than a Baptist setting, but I have no idea what the differences actually are between the two denominations. Or any other Protestant denominations, for that matter.
Ah, I see. There are people like that over here, too. I think some people who attend Protestant churches regularly probably couldn't tell you the difference between their own denomination and another -- even if they'd never consider switching churches.
My ex-h grew up in Staten Island, and everybody he knew growing up was either Catholic or Jewish. I had a terrible time explaining to him that not all Christians are Catholic.
ETA: I'm not convinced that USians, as a group, are quite as religious as the news and the polls paint us to be. But maybe that's just because I'm a godless heathen and hang out with other godless heathens.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by James G.: I think its probably a case of the couple nor really caring. I doubt they went to chruch regularly, an possibly weren't even really Christian.
Wow. That's quite an assumption to make about somebody you don't even know, based solely on what may have been a typo -- especially since we have no way of knowing who was actually responsible for the typo.
A snap judgement, perhaps, but not necessarily an incorrect one. Based on other factors in the wedding (dresses, reading choices, etc. Whole bunch of factors), as well as the fact that neither individual was a member of our church but both lived locally, I'd consider it likely that neither was a regular churchgoer. Our church is one of the more attractive and larger venues in Epping, and a lot of people get married here that aren't regular churchgoers. If they were regular churchgoers of a different denomination, we'd likely have seen them at any number of different interdenominational activities - and they'd likely be getting married at the church of their denomination.
Posts: 494 | From: Epping, Essex, UK | Registered: Sep 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Silkenwraith: A snap judgement, perhaps, but not necessarily an incorrect one. Based on other factors in the wedding (dresses, reading choices, etc. Whole bunch of factors
let me guess? Corinthians 13.4-13.9 & catain corelli's mandarin as reading? Strapless dress? and probably calla lillies as well?
-------------------- once known as little miss
"I don't Pretend to be an ordinary Housewife" Elizabeth Taylor Posts: 2416 | From: London | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
One of my friends had "Lord of the Dance" at her wedding. And "Give me oil in my lamp". I make no observation except that this dates her last involvement in any kind of Christian ceremony to the middle years of junior school
-------------------- I want you to lay down your life, Perkins. We need a futile gesture at this stage. It will raise the whole tone of the war. Posts: 4495 | From: Surrey, UK | Registered: Jun 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Cestrian: Off the point a bit here, but would a typical UK person know the difference between a baptist church and a (modern) Anglican church?
Why wouldn't they?
Religion isn't exactly a big thing over here. I know that there's a difference because I was brought up in a strict Church of England setting rather than a Baptist setting, but I have no idea what the differences actually are between the two denominations. Or any other Protestant denominations, for that matter.
Baptists v. COE? The gulf is, in one sense, not that wide, since most modern Baptists came out of the COE; on the other hand, it all depends on what you consider a gulf. There are issues related to liturgy (COE) v. "low church" (Baptist), sacraments (COE) v. ordinances (Baptist), paedobaptism (COE) v. believer's baptism (Baptist), open communion (COE) v. closed communion (Baptist), episcopal church government (COE) v. congregational church government (Baptist)...I could go on...
It would make a difference to me. I wouldn't refuse to attend (and it wouldn't bother me to attend, given what has been described related to the couple in question), but it would make a difference. No Baptist wedding I have ever attended served alcohol or had dancing, for example. (Then again, I've only gone to Southern Baptist weddings--I'm sure this is not necessarily the case for other types of Baptists.)
Avril
-------------------- There is no failure unless one stops. --Ray Bradbury Posts: 2115 | From: Oklahoma | Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Silkenwraith: A snap judgement, perhaps, but not necessarily an incorrect one. Based on other factors in the wedding (dresses, reading choices, etc. Whole bunch of factors
let me guess? Corinthians 13.4-13.9 & catain corelli's mandarin as reading? Strapless dress? and probably calla lillies as well?
When did strapless dresses in churches become acceptable? I seem to recall bare shoulders in church being a no-no. Strapless or spaghetti-strap dresses used to have jackets of some sort to be worn in the church and removed at the reception.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Silkenwraith: ... as well as the fact that neither individual was a member of our church but both lived locally, I'd consider it likely that neither was a regular churchgoer. Our church is one of the more attractive and larger venues in Epping, and a lot of people get married here that aren't regular churchgoers...
Our church has a policy that if you are not a member, you can't get married there. I am not sure if it is universal in the Catholic Church, but it has been for every church I've been a part of. Now there are exceptions, for example, if you have just moved into the area, or you want your wedding at your parent's church, they will allow it, but only if you are a member in good standing in your "old" parish, and yes, they will call.
As for differences in Baptist vs. Episcopal (Anglican), there is a HUGE difference here in the US.
-------------------- And now for something completely different... Posts: 4164 | From: Alabama | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
I've made so many typesetting errors over the past dozen years regarding names, dates etc., that this doesn't surprise me. However, the responsibility of proof reading a job is always the customers.
I'm always amazed at how people will ignore the bigger things in a booklet(assuming them to be correct) and hone in on things like missing commas or semi-colons.
-------------------- On my old guitar sell tickets, so someone can finally pick it. Posts: 799 | From: Dublin, Ireland | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Embra: One of my friends had "Lord of the Dance" at her wedding. And "Give me oil in my lamp". I make no observation except that this dates her last involvement in any kind of Christian ceremony to the middle years of junior school
Is it sad that I wondered briefly what Michael Flatley had to do with junior school?
(We will now sing hymn number 37: "He who would valiant be.")
-------------------- ~~Ai am in mai prrrrrraime!~~ Posts: 10111 | From: Oklahoma | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Silkenwraith: ... as well as the fact that neither individual was a member of our church but both lived locally, I'd consider it likely that neither was a regular churchgoer. Our church is one of the more attractive and larger venues in Epping, and a lot of people get married here that aren't regular churchgoers...
Our church has a policy that if you are not a member, you can't get married there. I am not sure if it is universal in the Catholic Church, but it has been for every church I've been a part of. Now there are exceptions, for example, if you have just moved into the area, or you want your wedding at your parent's church, they will allow it, but only if you are a member in good standing in your "old" parish, and yes, they will call.
As for differences in Baptist vs. Episcopal (Anglican), there is a HUGE difference here in the US.
I think the universal rule is that at least one person being married has to be a baptised and confirmed Catholic, but different parishes have different rules about what standing the participants must have with that parish and how much premarital counselling must be attended. At my mother's parish only one of the people being married must be Catholic but both must undergo many sessions of counselling with a priest and a retreat. So for at least 6 months the couple will be participants in my mother's parish, but they needn't have been before.
-------------------- Officially Heartless Posts: 3065 | From: The Montgomery County of the West Coast- Berkeley, CA | Registered: Nov 2005
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