Going to the Justice Center and We're Going To Get Married (Please Sing Along)

Megan and Jeremy Formo

Married March 8, 2024

Megan and Jeremy were married today in a simple civil ceremony at the Wright County Justice Center in Buffalo. Charlotte and Caleb were at the ceremony along with two of Megan and Jeremy's friends to function as witnesses.

This wedding will be a surprise for most everyone. Especially, given that I write about everything that goes on in our lives. So, it is only fair to get the back story on why the wedding happened today of all days.

As Megan likes to tell it, it all started with a cat. Our friend, Kim, has been keeping Alto since late last March when we started our road trip and then moved to Minnesota. Kim recently bought a home in Sacramento to be closer to her family. Alto had never really adjusted to Kim's cat, so we needed to produce a Plan B for Alto.

Plan B was to have Shasta, Megan's best friend from California, fly out to Minnesota to bring Alto to us. As soon as Megan knew Shasta and Alto would arrive today at around 12:30pm, Megan and Jeremy put the wheels in motion to get married so Megan could have Shasta as her witness. This has meant a whirlwind of activity from finding dresses (no conventional white for Megan) for Megan and Charlotte to suits for Jeremy and Caleb. Every day for the past week and a half we have had a flurry of packages on our doorstep for Megan and Charlotte to try on dresses. Then hunting down shoes, a photographer, flowers, getting the license squared away, telling Jeremy's family. 

I was one of the last to find out. Thank goodness for grandkids!

One night about two weeks ago, during dinner, Caleb asked something about a wedding. I asked, "What wedding?" Jeremy looked at Megan who was standing in the kitchen (possibly starting to clean up from dinner) and asked, "You haven't told your mom?" No, it.seems.she.had.not.told.her.mom.

Megan had talked to me in early January and told me they planned to get married in 2024 and that she wanted me to know it was going to be a private small ceremony with no family except Caleb and Charlotte. I understood how easily inviting people can get out of hand and I had no problem with not going. If there was not room for everyone in Jeremy's family, then Joe and I could sit it out. 

 So, we did. 

This is the part that gets tricky. Trust me Jeremy's moms (Shelly and Hilda) would have been happier to get the 4:05 pm call as we were touring a house in Buffalo than I was to get a frantic Megan: "I left my purse at home. I need my identification to get married and my checkbook to pay the judge." 

Me: "Dad and I are in Buffalo doing a home tour. Maybe they will take a photo of your drivers' license as proof of identity, and we could bring you the cash to pay the judge." 

(Keep in mind it would be at least a thirty-minute round trip to Rockford and back to Buffalo to get her purse for her).

Megan: " I can't leave the courthouse we have to be in there in twenty minutes. Why would I have a picture of my drivers' license? I can't pay cash it has to be a check! Do you have your checkbook with you?"

Me (who writes two checks a year): "No."

Our IMPRESSIVE real estate agent, Ann Monroe, is overhearing this conversation and offers that she has her checkbook and so we all three drive across town, arriving at 4:17pm (wedding is at 4:30pm) and Joe ran a blank check from Ann Monroe into the justice center. 

Talk about someone going the extra mile. Ann is now officially a member of our family whether she wants to be or not. Ann was also the florist for Megan and Charlotte's bouquets, and she had them ready with only four days’ notice. 

We, meanwhile, drove back to the house we were originally touring to finish checking it out. 

 All of this to say everything was perfect because what is a wedding without a snafu or story?

 We will get pictures soon and I will share what Megan allows me to share.