SMOKEY POINT — “You’re here to renew your vows to those you cherish above all else,” the Rev. Rose Bradshaw told the packed crowd of married couples at Sound Harley-Davidson Feb. 14, “your bikes.”
The bikers broke into laughter, and even threw some sass of their own at Bradshaw, as she officiated the mass renewal of wedding vows on Valentine’s Day.
“We don’t have to say anything, do we?” George Fair asked in jest, before he said, “I do,” a second time to his wife of 52 years, Lucy.
“I said it all the last time,” agreed fellow Marysville biker Bill Butcher, who first proposed to his wife Carol 40 years ago on Valentine’s Day.
Bradshaw replied: “It’s good to see we have the jokers up front.”
For all of their wisecracks, even as they winced at having to repeat Bradshaw’s oath of “I love you more than my bike,” the biker couples took their marriages very seriously.
When Arlington’s Mary Quehrn reported that she’d been married 40 years, her husband, Gordon, corrected her by pointing out it was 40 years, one month and 15 days, “but it feels like a short eternity to me,” he teased her lovingly.
When asked what their “something old” was for their renewal of vows, Carol Butcher proudly showed off the diamond from her original wedding ring, while her husband, Bill, simply pointed to himself.
“Forgiveness is the biggest word in the world,” Bill chuckled, when asked how their marriage had lasted so long, while Carol smiled silently. “She tolerates me.”
The Butchers’ advice for married riding included common sense tips such as, “Don’t fall down,” and, “Don’t try to use the camera while you’re driving.”
The Fairs likewise cited the importance of communicating and being prepared to make a marriage last, especially if you ride together.
“If you don’t talk, you’re not going to get along,” George said.
“You should both take good care of your cycles,” Lucy said. “Do regular maintenance on them, and have them gassed up and ready to go.”
George added: “If you’re taking a long trip together, figure out what you want to do and where you want to go ahead of time. We’ve ridden to the East Coast and back four times, and we’re still married.”
Kari Korsgren, marketing manager for Sound Harley, explained that the motorcycle dealer had last hosted a renewal of vows in 2011. She’d like to see the event become a regular practice “every few years.”
