I was out for some evening shopping and came back to find that I had three voice mail messages. Inquiries after 5pm are not rare, but two out of three were from the same phone number. Anita and Paul called from Milwaukee saying they were leaving at 4AM to drive to St. Louis to elope and would I be available.
My calendar was clear as many Tuesdays are for the most part. Good thing I called them back even though it was after 9pm. Anita was so sweet on the phone. She had already done all the research for Marriage Laws in Missouri. There is no waiting period like there is in Wisconsin where the waiting period is 6 days. When a couple TRULY elopes - six days is too long!
I estimated that if they left at 4am in Milwaukee they would be in St. Louis around 10am. In downtown St. Louis there are many choices. My favorites are the City Garden which is walking distance from City Hall or the infamous Gateway Arch.
Anita and Paul are not familiar with St. Louis and knew they could find the arch without a problem.
I gave them a 2-hour window that I would be free. Once they got their marriage license, there were instructed to call me to finalize the time and location. At 11:30am they called me to say they were eating lunch and would I meet them at the arch at noon. Not a problem.
I put on my business casual clothes and headed out the door. Most times couples are easy to spot as they are usually dressed up and holding a large envelope that has the Marriage License and Certificate inside. Anita and Paul were no exception. Paul is in the Navy and was all decked-out in his uniform. Anita had on a lovely off-white lace dress.
Before finding two witnesses, I like to fill out the forms first because then they do not have to wait afterwards. It is usually easy to spot two witnesses in a public place. Paul and Anita approached two people who were getting ready to take in the sites of the riverfront. It turns out they were from Milwaukee too!! Small world indeed.
Because it was right at noon when I started the ceremony, the Old Cathedral was ringing and The Gateway Geyser was erupting across the river in East St Louis.
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| Many Blessings to Paul and Anita |