He blanked. He knew, from somewhere, that you were supposed to think big thoughts at moments like this. Big, life-defining things that would resound throughout the years, to the point where you’d tell the grandkids “and at that moment, I knew”. Maybe something about messianic time. That sounded appropriate. But he had conceptual difficulties. Nothing came to mind. It was all a big blur of impressions, emotions and half-finished fragments. A muddle. All familiar, all anticipated, but also all extraordinarily ordinary

And then it came, the question

“Do you take this woman to be your lawful”

Now, at least, he knew what to say