On Saturday we had the good fortune of attending our first British
wedding as we observed the marriage ceremony of Gail Hammond and Robin
Edwards. I have known Gail since 2008 where we met working for the
Maya Research Program in northwestern Belize. This past summer I
worked for Gail on her project as she is a member of the summer staff
at MRP as she works on her PhD here in London.

Now in Britain not only must the person performing the marriage
ceremony be licensed, so must the location be licensed as a place to
hold weddings. Even if you want to have the ceremony in your home, it
must be licensed. Gail and Robin chose the Camden Town Hall where we
were seated in the Council Chamber seats while the ceremony was
conducted by the town’s marriage officials who only asked three times
if anyone was aware of any legal reason that the couple should not be
wed under the marriage laws of Britain. It was lovely and charming in
not in any way sterile given the governmental surroundings. The
surroundings actually made the wedding feel like it had historical
significance.

As the next wedding party arrived for their ceremony in Council
Chambers, it was off to the Queen’s Head and Artichoke pub (the Brits
do know how to name things) for the wedding party for the rest of the
afternoon and evening. It was a lovely day for a lovely couple.