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J

une usually brings weddings to Oriental. Brides and grooms are a somewhat common sight. But we’d not before seen bride and groom lead everyone in a bicycle parade.

Oriental residents Tim Rogers and Janet Alexander said “I do” on June 14 at the Stallings House on the river. As about a hundred friends and family looked on, Captain Larry Walker officiated at the ceremony. (Another first for us, watching a Captain officiate on a porch.)

We think they like each other:

We had to ask how a captain could marry people on land. Larry, who runs the World Wide Marine Training school in Oriental, obliged with an explanation.

Though we all call him Captain, and he IS a captain, that’s not what puts Larry in a position to conduct weddings. Several years ago, he told us, a friend who was a minister granted him the proxy to officiate at a wedding. Then someone else asked Larry to carry out their ceremony and so, long story short, the powers granted to him by that minister were extended.

Larry’s since married several couples in Oriental. One time, the paperwork did get held up at the county courthouse when an official there questioned his right to carry out the ceremony, but that’s been cleared up.

As for that minister who granted him the power to conduct marriages, he did get divorced, but later remarried his wife. Captain Larry Walker conducted the service.

But back on the bicycle parade wedding….

Wedding invitations had stated that there would be a bicycle parade after the ceremony – and about half of those in attendance came via bike and took part.

Just minutes after being married, Tim and Janet led the bicycle parade on a bike-built-for-two.

The parade went down South Avenue…

Through the village – the bicycle parade approached the harbor:

We’re here – what do we do now?

Assemble for that photographer fella on The Bean porch!

The assembled bicycle parade in front of the Town Dock:

Cake admiration

Tim and Janet went sailing the sound on their honeymoon, and have settled in to enjoying married life in the village.