Beauty Tips for Ministers

Garment Bags, ‘Brellies and Rainy Weddings

October 3, 2008 on 6:18 am | In Accessories, Beautiful Leadership, Pastoral Fashion Emergency, Or "PeaceBang, Help!", Vestments And Clericals |

Hello my lovelies,
How is your autumn going? Here, a young minister asks some very excellent questions. So let’s answer them, shall we?

I am a young minister (almost ordained) and am co-officiating at my first wedding this week. I have several sartorial quandaries I’m wondering if you can help me with.

1) How do I pack my robe? I’m trying to decide whether to invest in a nice garment bag, or will it get just as messed up in one of those as in a suitcase? Any tricks for keeping it nice?

2) This is an outdoor wedding and it’s expected to rain. The bride just sent a note to everyone saying they have a tent for the reception but not for the wedding, so bring an umbrella. Should I ask her to find people to be umbrella holders? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your help. I love your blogs!

And I love your questions, Rachel!
What a good reminder for PeaceBang to address the issue of garment bags. By all means, seminarians, obtain as nice a garment bag as you can afford as soon as you start robing. PeaceBang found hers for something like $15 at SYMS (”where the educated consumer is the best consumer”) and has been using it for over a decade. I love it because it is light nylon and has a very sturdy top loop AND a cunning little zippered pocket into which I like to tuck my service folio. Not only does it hang nicely in the car (I spread it across the back seat to arrive wrinkle-free), it also folds up easily to fit in my suitcase, where it goes carefully placed over everything else. When I arrive wherever I’m going I simply press or steam my robe. Some clergy prefer heavy duty garment bags with metal infrastructures, or even suitcases that function as one big garment bag, but when I pack I use the clothes-rolling method for which a traditional suitcase works much better. I roll everything up, tuck underwear and pantyhose in the sides, shoes face down over everything else (with the heels facing up and foot nestled into the clothes), and carefully place my robe in the folded garment bag on top of all. I pack all of my toiletries in a separate bag into which I also pack accessories like scarves and belts, bathing suits, etc. and my jammies. A small purse to carry on the plane or train, and I’m good to go.

I have also carried my garment bag as my second carry-on on some flights and asked that it be hung in first class with the bigwig’s garment bags. I say to the flight attendant, “I’ll be heading to a wedding as soon as I land and my clerical vestments are in this bag. Do you think there might be space to hang it up in the front of the aircraft?” It is my experience that if you ask nicely, they will graciously accommodate you. Wearing a collar on the flight doesn’t hurt.

As far as officiating in the rain goes, I would certainly first ask whether the ceremony might be moved under the tent for anything but a light drizzle. Sad to say, but couples don’t always think about the comfort of their guests when they’re trying to preserve their fantasy vision of Their Big Day, and it is the officiant’s responsibility to ask questions like, “Hmmm, well we could ask people to bring umbrellas, but mightn’t Aunt Serena’s arthritis flare up if she’s expected to stand on wet grass for 20 minutes, and don’t you think a number of people might appreciate not having to catch pneumonia/stand miserably trying to look happy for you/destroy their shoes because you’re too loopy in love to be practical and considerate right now?”

Don’t merely ask, suggest. Couples need your help; you’re the professional here, so take the reins. “I think if it rains more than just a very slight drizzle, we should gather everyone together under the reception tent and have the ceremony there. It will be so much more comfortable, people will be able to concentrate, everyone will be so much more comfortable, and it will be a major improvement on getting soaked on the beach… TRUST me.”
If the couple pushes back hard, by all means accommodate them. But given that no one they’re likely to listen to has urged them to create a reasonable Plan B in the event of rain, you should at least try.

And yes, you should have your own umbrella-holder. In fact, I would have fun with it and send four to six ushers down the aisle as part of the processional with huge golf umbrellas, creating a canopy under which you, the couple and their attendants can then stand. Another usher (or two or three) should be assigned to do the same for any elderly or disabled guests.