Signs you are at a youth worker’s wedding

I think of the strangest things in the middle of the night. The list that follows is probably the all-time strangest. Feel free to add-on as you feel inspired.

Some youth workers are married. Others are single. Some will get married during their tenure as a youth worker (and this is in no way any sort of an announcement on my part). Here, then, are the signs that you are at a youth worker’s wedding:

• Rather than a soloist providing music prior to the service, there is a video loop that includes announcements, YouTube clips and the new Hillsong United music video.
• The youth worker half of the happy couple reads the vows from the notes he or she has written on his or her hand.
• Wedding song: David Crowder Band’s Our Love is Loud
  
• The couple registers at the Youth Specialties web site.
• The reception dinner is pizza and Mountain Dew … just pizza and Mountain Dew.
• There’s no head table at the reception, just a longer couch and larger bean bag chairs.
• Invitations went out on Facebook and included responses from friends of friends of friends from as far away as China.
• You don’t see a professional photographer, but there seems to be an awful lot of young people holding up their cell phones.
• Rather than a punch or champagne fountain, there’s line of Diet Coke bottles and packs of Mentos.
• Not only did you receive the initial invitation, you received reminders via Twitter, text, Facebook and a phone call to your parents.
• The wedding announcement may not appear in the local newspaper, but the couple really hopes that Marko or Josh blog about it.
• DJ? We don’t need a DJ, we have DDR and Guitar Hero!