A Nexus employee has had a unique bite of the Big Apple, officiating his best friend’s wedding in New York.
Alun Morley, who works in our ICT Department, got the role of celebrant at the wedding ceremony of his pals Michael and Eleanor Elstob after they decided to tie the knot in the city that never sleeps.
Alun, 50, of Cramlington, was just going to be the best man before getting a phone call from Michael to say that the wedding had been switched from Newcastle to NYC.
The happy couple, of Bishop Auckland, then asked Alun if he would be able to do their wedding vows too, prompting a scramble to get the right paperwork allowing him to do that legally under New York State law.
He said: “I had to apply to become a minister online through a non-denominational organisation. It took about fifteen minutes and at the end of that I got an email classing me as ordained. Only in America.
“I then had to acquire a document pack which allowed me to apply for registration as an officiant within New York.
“There is a wealth of information and training courses available online for people to assist in the process, from venue selection, ceremony examples and most importantly, what you actually need to do in order for the marriage to be legal.
“The timescales involved meant that a postal application to the New York city clerk’s office may not have been processed in time, so a face to face appointment was booked for my day of arrival.”
After a dash from JFK Airport, Alun managed to register himself as an officiant – which means he had the legal power to oversee the wedding.
As an upshot of the trip Alun now finds himself permanently registered to officiate weddings in the five boroughs of New York – although he hasn’t got any plans for a career change just yet.
And so, with the iconic Manhattan skyline shimmering in the background, Alun stepped forward to perform the wedding ceremony on a sunny June day before a handful of guests and fascinated onlookers.
Despite being nervous it all went to plan, with no hitches, and he successfully conducted the nuptials beneath the famous Brooklyn bridge.
Alun said: “It was one hell of an experience. I was honoured to perform the wedding ceremony, but it’s not every day you get asked to do something like that in New York city.
“I was even more nervous than Michael and Eleanor, but the most pressure I felt was getting all the paperwork sorted. I wasn’t sure how common it was over in the states but it’s not something you can’t do easily in the UK. It’s a pretty straightforward process over there, but everything needs to be accurate.
“Once we landed in New York, the pressure was on. I had a face to face appointment to ratify my status as an officiant just three hours after landing. If I’d missed that meeting then I wouldn’t have had time to register for the big day. I had to make sure I got there so paid a hundred Dollars for a taxi straight from JFK airport. After a rather tense trip and interview, the clerk rubber stamped my status as the officiant, so I was ready to go. Having my Wife, Jennifer, there as support was invaluable. I’m sure she loved sitting on the steps of the clerks office looking after the baggage, jetlagged to bits, in the sweltering sunshine.”
He added: “It was a privilege to get that role and it made the occasion extra special. Combining the role of officiant and best man meant I got to really personalise the ceremony. Having my wife as maid-of-honour and ring bearer and actually marrying two of my best mates made for a unique experience.
“I’m now a qualified wedding registrar in the city of New York. It’s not something I quite expected, but under the regulations I am now legally deputised to do weddings over there.”
The Bride at the wedding, Eleanor, said: “The wedding was almost completely improvised, all we had planned was having Alun officiate after his dash to sort out the paperwork. I didn’t know exactly where we were getting married until the Uber ride, and we hadn’t agreed a time until the night before
“Michael and I couldn’t have asked for a more fun, adventurous and totally unique wedding day. It would not have been possible without the efforts of Alun. We’re so chuffed our friends were able to join us and get involved at the level they did, and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
Photo credit: Eye of the Tyne Photography, North Tyneside Business Centre, Howard House, 54a Saville Street, North Shields NE30 1NT.