FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What a schedule! How did you do all that in one day?

You must be reading our program with the ambitious schedule in it.  Put simply, we didn't manage it all. We got a late start and then got stuck in traffic. Then we fell further behind the rest of the day. We barely had 5 minutes to enjoy the Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta, and we didn't make it to the Salisbury Museum at all. We also returned to London much later -- around 2AM.

2. What do you mean by "application of Celtic tattoos"? Did everybody get a tattoo?

Ah, another event we skipped. We ordered "temporary" Celtic tattoos from Dover Publications which we thought would be fun to apply while everyone was riding around on the bus. But the day went so fast we simply didn't have time. So we gave them to VJ's nieces and nephews to play with when we got home.

3. How many costume changes did you make?

Not as many as you think. Vicky Jo wore a traditional wedding dress at the civil ceremony, and she wore the same dress at Stonehenge, albeit disguised under a blue velvet bodice she made herself because English Heritage would not allow her to wear a white wedding costume (but she was determined to wear the same dress for both ceremonies). Robin wore a dove gray morning coat and top hat for the traditional ceremony, and changed into Celtic garb for the Stonehenge ceremony. Both of us brought fun "day clothes" for touring around in that were also wedding themed.  Robin wore a whimsical tuxedo t-shirt and VJ a short white dress and white beaded tennis shoes.  We also came prepared with plenty of accessories -- Vicky Jo had a white raincoat and white umbrellas in case of rain, and white bridal sunglasses in the event of bright sun. 

4. Who attended?

Attended which part?  Robin's sister Sally and nephew Alan flew to Los Angeles and spent five days in Hollywood with us first.  Then we boarded a flight to London together, where we were united with Vicky Jo's parents and her sister's family.  During the touring week in London, Judy popped in to say hello, and Malcolm dropped in a few days later with Judy to have dinner with us.  These same people all boarded the bus with us in London.  In Marlborough, we added Robin's Aunt Barbara and our videographer, Peter.  Robin's mother joined us from Australia on a speaker-style telephone to listen in on our civil ceremony.  Then at Stonehenge we added Steve Myers and his wife, Ann, plus our Celtic celebrant, Wise Owl (Anne Coleman).  And we know many people were there with us in spirit because we could feel them (and we thanked them for joining us during our ceremony).  Most of our attendees are pictured here.

5. I thought they didn't let you into the stone circle anymore.  Has that policy changed?

That's a sad policy which was understandably instituted by English Heritage.  After all, tourists had been carving their initials into the stones or carting off pieces of rock.  It was a move intended to protect the monument from further destruction, which I applaud.  However, it is possible to make special arrangements (for a price) to have private access into Stonehenge before and after normal operating hours, which is what we did.  It can be a powerful experience to touch the stones, which is why we chose to celebrate our union there.

6. Was this your first marriage?  Do you have any kids?

This is Vicky Jo's first marriage, she is proud to say -- although it annoyed her no end when the registrar had her sign legal documents labeling her as a "spinster."  It's a legal term that persists in Britain, so it's a price she had to pay.  Robin has been married twice before, and has a son (Brenton) from his first marriage.  He raised three stepsons during his second marriage of 15 years, but they are not his genetic offspring.

7. Did you have formal pictures taken?

Unfortunately, no.  We chose to hire only a videographer for our event, and felt that including a photographer as well would begin to feel like it was an occasion for papparazzi instead of a serious wedding ceremony.  So we opted against that and encouraged our guests to take lots of pictures instead.  We couldn't re-create the event later in a studio, since Robin's formalwear was rented on Savile Row in London and was returned the day after the wedding.  (Didn't that top hat look dashing though?)