Broken Window Pains

Believe it or not I have helped officiate at several weddings during the last several years. Actually the first one I did was a solo effort. The couple insisted they wanted me to do the wedding and they were convinced I could officially marry them since I was the county coroner. I didn’t know if it was legal or not but I grabbed a Methodist hymnal, found a ceremony in the back and married them at a friend’s home. I couldn’t believe how many people showed up for that.

I'm sure they enjoyed the honeymoon but the marriage didn’t last. In fact it died an ugly death. I guess they didn’t stand much of a chance getting their life together kicked off by a coroner.

I was determined after that experience if someone insisted on me officiating at a wedding ceremony I would do it only if I was assisting an ordained minister. Over the years I can count at least seven weddings where I have been part of the tag team marrying team. In other words, there is a rather short list. Trust me I am not advertising for a job. The only people who can get me to even consider putting myself through such an event is if the person getting married is either kin folk or a very, very close friend.

One of those couples on that short list mentioned above is Shane and Kristy Bridges. I assisted their pastor in performing their wedding ceremony several years ago.

And one of these days that bit of trivia just might be my claim to fame.


Shane is a singer, songwriter and musician extraordinaire. He has been part of the music scene in Georgia and the Southeast for the last dozen or so years. He was well known as a member of such bands as Acoustic Workshop, Dear America and Oldstar. And now he has done what music lawyers and music labels have begged him to do for years. He has gone solo.

His coming out CD was released earlier this month and it is a great one. Called Broken Window Pains, this CD, comprised of all original songs performed by Shane and written by him and in some cases a co-writer, will no doubt be the catalyst that will launch Shane’s music career into orbit.

And when the rest of you are scrambling for tickets to his concert when he comes back to town as a big time star, my family and I will be slipping in the side door with our back stage passes. After all – I married him and his wife. Surely that gives me special privileges.

By the way, you can order this amazing CD at www.shanebridges.com. You can even check out some of the tunes at that website.

Broken Window Pains. Shane Bridges. Riverbridge Publishing (BMI).

Tell them his wedding priest sent you.