The ceremonial mega geek horn had been blown and geeks from the 4 corners of the geekverse converged on the fabled spires of Béal Feirste to wittiness the elocution of one of the brotherhood to the exalted status of "husband".
Posh frocks had been worried about, matching shoes and nail polish chosen and that was just the male attendees. Living just up the road in Cúil Raithin for me the trek to the festivities was a fairly minor affair complicated only by picking up the High Priestess of Bananas, small furry animals and Domino Serverdom at the magic carpet park. Oddly the aforementioned Priestess was not beset with the usual bad luck that seems to plague her travel plans and arrived on the muddy banks of Béal Feirste Lough on her chariot pulled by 4 wingéd puppies, a avionic turtle, a family of spiders and a flatulent goat - only 5 minutes late! (must have been the addition of the goat)
We gathered at the appointed "Pavilion of Deeply Serious Promise Making", this hostelry being both a shady spot to rest the more distant traveller's aches and pains and a place appointed by the powers that be as a place where Husbands and Wives are enjoined.
The bar rang to the myriad accents of Baile Átha Cliath, Béal Feirste, Cúil Raithin, misty Alba, Helvetica, and the far off semi-mythical lands on Aahh Mare Ika as much ceremonial ale was quaffed, celebratory wine sipped and the age old ceremony of "LookyLookyIHaveACOOLNewPhone" was observed with due solemnity.
Many were the tales I could tell of the sudden appearance of one geek or another as the evening wore on. Suffice to say noisy were the greetings and fulsome too. The evening drew to a close around 3:45 when the siren song of the bedrooms grew too loud to ignore and the assembled masses retired, expectant yet only partially able to walk, to bed.
The morning came, as it always does in Ireland, with not cock crow, but the sound of a myriad of geeks, their wives (or husbands) tucking into an "Ulster Fry" washed down with a small ocean of coffee and orange juice.
Bleary eyes and cottonwooled minds were berrocca-ed, showered, shaved and breakfasted in preparation for the nuptial ceremony at top of the clock. Around 11am there was a tension in the air as a 100 geek chaps tried to remember what a tie was for let alone how to affix it to the codpiece.
By Midday, the crowd was gathering in reception hall (with bar) and it has to be said we geeks had brushed up rather well even though we say it ourselves. many and various partners had with patience and love made sure that our hair was "just so" and that ties were tied, shoes shone and that we had hankies in the anciently appointed manner of "One for show, One for Blow", so we all took our seats.
The ceremony was as you would expect as perfect a match to Paul and Lynne as you could imagine. Lynne was as radiant a bride as you could wish for in many a fairy tale and Paul was ... was... was ... a very odd colour that didn't seem to affect behind his ears and who knew they made suits that small.
Mighty was the cheer that the assembled multitude managed when the celebrant lady didth quote .. "You are now man an wife" .. the clicking of Blackberries, iPhones and HTCs was deafening as the word was sent out to the Twitterverse
"It is DONE!"
The happy couple left the hall amidst much cheering! It has to be noted that there appears to have been "something" poured un-noticed from the ceiling as many in the crowd, reached for a Kleenex commenting "Damn something in my eye!"
The remains of the day where filled with laughter, balloon animals, a papal hat (that i will forever regret asking Coatsie for), speeches, a Sinclair Spectrum and the wonderful sight of the Geek Dancers waving their "Oh it's Journey and I don't have a lighter to wave" iPhone Apps joyfully in the air.
Paul and Lynne it was a wonderful wedding! :-)
We are all honoured to have been invited and we all man, woman and balloon animal wish you both every luck and happiness in the years ahead.!
