By Allie Waters, Staff Writer

Little girls dream of the perfect wedding and all it entails: the flowing dress, red flowers, fancy hair and shining ring. The only problem is the perfect wedding does not exist.

Purposeful jokes and bloopers abound during wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Steve Ridgell, the director of ministries for Herald of Truth, has presided as minister in more than 100 weddings. With 35 years of experience, he has witnessed a number of wedding jokes and mishaps.

Intentional jokes typically have come from the groomsmen, Ridgell said. For example, he witnessed a best man, who happened to be the groom’s father, hand the groom a shotgun shell instead of the ring, and another best man acted like he lost the ring entirely.

Ridgell said anyone who wants to pull a prank should do so at the wedding rehearsal instead of the actual ceremony. Even with this advice, people continue to create hoaxes during the big day.

Some couples discuss the possibility of a light-hearted wedding ceremony that will entertain their guests. One couple Ridgell married had the groomsmen walk out to ZZ Top, a rock artist from the ’70s.

Ridgell said another intentional joke he witnessed was a choral group singing The Fight is On as the bride and groom exited the wedding rehearsal. This song is an old hymn but was used to imply what the couple was getting into by entering marriage. Ridgell said he has heard this song many times and always laughs because it never gets old.

Nathan MacDonald, senior advertising/public relations major from Hillsboro, said the ring bearer in his wedding walked down the aisle, and instead of standing with the men, followed a bridesmaid and stood on the other side.

It took him a few minutes to realize he was on the wrong side, and then he proceeded to join the men, MacDonald said.

Mike Cope, adjunct instructor of Bible, missions and ministry and long-time preaching minister at Highland Church of Christ, said he remembered an outdoor wedding that got too hot for the ring bearer.

“He started stripping off clothes,” Cope said. “First he took off his coat.

He waited a bit and was still hot. So he pulled off his vest, then the suspenders.

He unbuttoned his shirt but couldn’t ever figure out the cufflinks. That is all that saved us from a wedding streaker.”

Although the wedding party could not see the ring bearer, the guests could.

Although some jokes are set in place on purpose, most mishaps at weddings are unintentional.

Ridgell said the father of the bride tends to be nervous, especially in regards to giving his daughter away. Because Ridgell is aware of this underlying nervousness, he coaches the fathers at the rehearsals, so they feel comfortable with the one line they have to say: “Her mother and I do.”

At one wedding ceremony, Ridgell was at the front conducting the ceremony and asked who was giving away this woman, and the father of the bride responded by saying, “Her father and I do.”

Several snickers came from the crowd, and Ridgell whispered the correct line to help the nervous father. But he repeated, “Her father and I do.” Once he realized he had been saying it wrong, the father, the guests and Ridgell had a few laughs.

Some couples like the use of unity candles in the ceremony. The problem with using these candles is the fact they are taken out of the candleholders and then replaced, sometimes loosely.

While ministering at a wedding at Chapel on the Hill, Ridgell had a couple that chose to use unity candles. After replacing the candles in the holders, Ridgell said everything seemed fine and he kept on with the ceremony, only to look at his wife’s face, which expressed horror.

After hearing several gasps from the guests, Ridgell realized a candle had fallen over and left a long, wax line on the back of his pants.

Cope also has ministered at weddings that use unity candles.

“Once I had the ceremonious lighting of the unity candle,” Cope said. “I explained the imagery of God taking the two and creating something new.

Shortly after the air conditioning kicked on and blew out the candle as they were reciting vows. Not really the imagery you’re hoping for.”

During his career, Ridgell has seen multiple wedding veils rip because they were stepped on, men who forgot to zip their pants before walking into the ceremony and confusion about how to kiss.

Ridgell said he always advises couples to decide how they are going to kiss before they try it in the wedding ceremony.

“I have seen him lean in for a quick one when she wants a long one,” Ridgell said.

He stressed the importance of deciding between the two so there is no awkwardness when going in for the kiss.

Ridgell also said he has seen more grooms cry uncontrollably than brides. He said brides tend to get the giggles more often during the ceremony.

Once the wedding ceremony is over, it may seem the mishaps also are over, but that is not true.

Some brides choose bubbles to be blown as they leave the wedding. Others choose rose petals to be thrown, and some choose rice.

“I have seen the bride get clobbered with rice,” Ridgell said. “I was like, ‘A little more gently next time!'”