Get Me To The Funeral Home On Time? (Don't worry, this is not a sad story)

This story follows beautifully on my previous "thinking outside the box" post. Told you there would be a lot of that.

We all have our moments where we want to toss the invites out the window, cancel the catering, and say "to hell with the flowers," I just want to get married! I know I have. And we've heard it a million times from other brides, "Don't sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day you'll still be married."

Every once in a while, someone comes along and makes good on that advice, as did this hilarious (and resourceful!) couple, in Modesto, California, who got married at a (funeral) chapel:

License in hand on New Year's Eve, Robert Smith and Mary Hartman just wanted to get married.

They didn't care about flowers, a wedding gown, a tux, invitations, a photographer or any of the other costly nuptial trappings. They merely planned to say their "I dos" before a justice of the peace and get on with their life together.

But where? The pastor at their church politely declined to officiate, citing personal convictions because Smith and Hartman are divorcés, albeit many years ago.

So they went to the Stanislaus County clerk's office to get a marriage license Dec. 31. They wanted to be married right then and there. Wait until mid-January, they were told. No chance, Mary said. She's ready now. An employee at the clerk's office suggested they try one of the flower shops, because some of them hold weddings.

"We were driving by Salas Brothers and she said, 'Do you mind getting married in a funeral home? They've got to have a minister in there,' " Smith said. "I said, 'No, a minister is a minister.' ...

This is just a teaser to get you to read this funny and fabulous article written by Jeff Jardine --> click here now! (All photos courtesy of the Modesto Bee.)