Dillydallying is out of place at 24/7 chapel

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 10, 2005 by Cathy Free Deseret Morning News

The couple wanted a simple wedding, with no fuss, no flowers and no family members. Oh, and one more thing:

"We'd like to be naked."

Until that day, Steven White thought he'd heard it all. Unusual requests come with the job when you're the pastor at Salt Lake City's only 24-hour wedding chapel.

"They wanted to be naked because her middle name was Nature and his was Rain," Steven recalls, laughing. "I just prayed, 'Lord, you've got to fix this.' "

Thankfully, a few hours before the ceremony, he received a call. The couple's relatives had learned of their wedding plans and wanted to attend the service. The bride would be wearing more than a smile, after all.

It was all in a late night's work for Steven, who opened the Two Shall Be One chapel with his wife, Lisa, just over a year ago. With so many Utahns driving to Las Vegas to get hitched, the Whites decided, why not entice couples to stay home and save their gas money?

Their chapel doesn't have a drive-up window, a neon sign or a ring- bearer dressed like Elvis. But in the time it takes to brush your teeth and comb your hair, you can be legally married and out the door.

With Valentine's Day a few days away, the Whites thought it would be a good time to share a few stories over a Free Lunch of mesquite chicken sandwiches at their chapel, tucked inside an office building off West Temple and 1800 South.

Since Feb. 14 is one of the most popular days for weddings, the Whites expect they will be busy from sunup to sundown and long beyond that.

"Everybody wants to have Valentine's Day as their wedding day," says Lisa, "even though every year on their anniversary, it's going to cost them double for roses."

Some brides might end up with carnations, instead, but for most, that won't matter, says Steven.

"I like to think that their love for each other is more important," he says. "Marriage is harder today because so many people get married for the wrong reasons. The focus is on material possessions -- what they can get. (Lisa and I) are trying to do our part to turn that around."

Steven has married 70-year-olds and 16-year-olds (with parental permission); couples who were divorced for years and decided to give it another shot; old high school sweethearts and couples who simply want to renew their vows.

One of his most memorable weddings was that of a homeless couple who had met on the streets. "They'd been through some hard times, but they wanted to be together," he says. "That was inspiring."

At Two Shall Be One, couples have been married at midnight on New Year's Eve and at noon on a weekday during their lunch break. One man wanted to stop by with his fiancee on his way home from jail.

The Whites don't ask many questions. In some cases, it's best not to know.

"As long as they've taken out a license at the courthouse and give us an hour's notice, we'll be here," says Lisa. "Even if they call at 2 in the morning, they can get married like Britney Spears."

She and Steven have seen couples tie the knot in everything from traditional gowns and tuxedos to sweat pants and flip-flops. Some show up to say their vows in cowboy boots, while others choose bare feet.

Steven is grateful that feet are the only thing uncovered thus far. He'd rather not think about where a naked groom might put his boutonniere.

Have a story? Let's hear it over lunch. E-mail your name, phone number and what you'd like to talk about to freelunch@desnews.com. You can also write me at the Deseret Morning News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.