Pet Peeves: Cell phones at Weddings

We attended a lovely wedding this afternoon. The bride was red-headed beautiful. The groom's smile carried enough wattage to light up the entire sanctuary.

Everything was proceeding with perfection until a cell phone started vibrating under someone's behind. It was someone on our pew, and I thought at first that it was a woodpecker. He quickly leaned forward and attempted to turn it off. However, it started buzzing from beneath his butt once more. I noticed several others in our general area searching for their cell phones to turn them off.

Less than thirty seconds later the music of a cell phone set on loud burst forth across the aisle and back two rows. About five women reached for their purses and one of them was the culprit. At that point there was a general movement through the entire congregation of women pawing through purses to check their cell phone status, and others checking pockets to do the same.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus once more on the lovely words spoken by the father of the groom. He completed his part and handed the microphone to the father of the bride who had also prepared a special dedication to his daughter and her wedding day. When they were finished speaking, they returned to their front row seats.

The Pastor took over the remainder of the ceremony. He began preparing the couple for the exchange of rings when one more cell phone with a ringer echoed from the opposite end of the church.

There were two video photographers taping the entire service. Thirty years from now when the couple watch it on their anniversary, I wonder what they'll think about those darn cell phones.