Hmmm...Time for one of my rambling true stories:
V was late. We bought the kit. Oh dear!
Ho-hum, we had been together long enough that we were all but married anyway so time to make it legal. I bunked off my housecall list the next morning and went to see the local registrar. Yes, you can blag an appointment by just turning up and being sweetly firm about just needing a quick word.
The good news was that such things as special licences had long been abandoned and one can get married immediately. "Goody" I said "Book us in for 10.30 am Saturday."
The lady Registrar gave me a look of absolute horror and stuttered all sorts of stuff about how busy she was and, look, all her forward bookings being filled up for weeks if not months.
I gently took her appointment book from her and had a look. It was filled in fullly with 30 minute slots for a long time ahead.
"I'll tell you what" I said "It really can't take 30 minutes to do a quick wedding. So how about you talk a bit faster and get the 10am mob out by 10.20. I'll make sure my lot are prompt and waiting to race to their seats. You can rattle through the biz at 10.23 and have us out by 10.35 so the next lot can get done by 11?? Pretty please?"
After 'some discussion' of the matter the lady Registrar finally cracked and agreed.
I drove home and told V we were getting married on saturday at 10.23.
"What!" She exclaimed. "I can't possibly be ready by Saturday! There;s rings and dresses and cakes and.."
After 'some discussion' V agreed that Saturday week would be possible. Oddly when I rang the Registrar and asked if she remembered me - well she did. I was very polite when i apologised that this Saturday wasn't suitable any more but definately we could do the same thing on Saturday week.
The Registrar finished choking on something or other and replied weakly "Yes Mr K. 10.23am Saturday week"
(does any wedding ever go off without a hitch? One day I'll tell you about the day itself.)