“In
a Colorful Ceremony that attracted nearly 500 guests, all wearing costumes,
clowns Raggedy Robin and Raggedy Jane were married in San Francisco's
Glide Memorial Church.
It was a 21/2-hour spectacle called a "Magical Wedding Circus Ballet."
Belly dancers, bagpipe bands, female impersonators, a trapeze artist,
a fire eater, a live llama, Sylvester, a singing dog and much more frolicked
in their pews and down the aisles.
Jane, 19, and Robin, 23, smilingly exchanged vows and recited the Lord's
Prayer in a 5-minute double-ring ceremony at the close of the event.
“I, Raggedy Robin, pledge my eternal love to you, Raggedy Jane,”
the groom recited in a 15 minute ritual that included The Lord’s
Prayer and an exchange of rings.
The 500 people who packed Glide Memorial Methodist Church rose and cheered
as the couple retreated in a shower of confetti and flowers down an
aisle lined with helium-filled balloons.
The bride and groom finally advanced down the confetti-and-flower-strewn
aisle, in a procession including a live llama, a Hindu band, three costumed
bears and a costumed black gorilla with white parasol.
The couple wore clown costumes and makeup. Jane had finished sewing
her gown of patchwork, lace and ribbon the day before. Only persons
in costume were admitted to the public invitation affair. The spectators
matched for color the clown costumes and makeup of the groom and the
bride, who sewed her own lace, patchwork and ribbon gown.
"I had a wonderful time," said Robin. "I always knew
my wedding would be something unusual," said Jane. "We're
too poor to go anywhere," the groom said. The couple--who said
they have studied the clown's art but are unemployed-- planned to attend
a street festival before retiring to their apartment in the Haight-Ashbury.
The Los Trancos Woods Community Marching Band boomed "Yes, We Have
No Bananas" as a dozen female impersonators from the The Cockettes,
a psychedelic theater troupe, shrieked and danced wildly in a corner.
There was a group of 15 belly dancers, the Cosmic Yoga Band , two bagpipe
bands and the San Francisco City College choir. Robin said he studied
in Paris under Marcel Marceau, an inter-nationally known mime Jane was
described by McCarthy as the first woman graduate of the Ringling Bros.
Circus clown school.
The couple met a year ago, Robin said, when he saw Jane's photo in costume
in a national magazine and wrote to ask about her yarn wig. She made
him a red model and delivered it in person. Romance followed. The spectacle
was presided over by a friend of the groom, maroon- jacketed Dana McCarthy
of San Francisco, who as ringmaster shrilled his silver whistle and
announced the event "is brought to you with fairy dust by Peter
Pan."
Robin himself directed the entertainment from the church balcony. Fire-eater
John Haddon was followed by a singing dog and Renee, a trapeze artist
who performed on a velvet swing over the center aisle. The California
Clowns from Imperial Beach joined the program that included professional
circus entertainers who donated their time.
The bride is Jane Shirley Melody, who said her father and librarian
mother live on a farm near Urbana. She did not give their names. Robin's
mother , Grace Smith of Dorchester, Mass, arrived in San Francisco by
airplane just in time for the wedding. She met Jane for the first time
at the church "I didn't think he was going to go through with all
of this," said a somewhat dazed Mrs. Smith. "I guess I'm shocked,
stunned and speechless.”
Robin and Jane are presently unemployed."
- Associated Press
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