PORT TOWNSEND -— The bride wore white. The groom was nervous.
It was a traditional church wedding, except for two things: Everyone on both sides of the aisle were friends of the bride and the groom.
And almost none of the guests had a clue that a wedding was going to happen.
On Sunday, Jan. 8, Fred Johnson and Trish Pint were united in holy matrimony at Trinity United Methodist Church — during the morning service.
The surprise wedding was the ultimate response to the frequently asked question: “When are you going to get married?”
Pop-up ceremony
The pop-up ceremony also provided the essence of what they wanted — to be surrounded by friends when they exchanged vows — without the frills superfluous to a mature couple.
Johnson, who plays bass fiddle in the Dukes of Dabob, taught band and orchestra in Port Townsend schools from 1958 to 1983.
Pint is a longtime Port Townsend resident.
They met at church several years ago and began going out together, including sitting together Sundays and ringing the handbells to signal the start of the service.
They turned away speculation on their relationship, saying they were “only friends,” but after awhile, the questions became more pointed.
At church before the service, Mary Weeding, a parishioner and church musician, commented to Pint that her outfit was nice enough to get married in.
“She replied, ‘Yes, it is,’” Weeding said.
The only other clue was the listing in the Sunday bulletin of “A Special Event” before the closing hymn.
At that point, the minister, Wendell Ankeny, stood in front and made a strange announcement: A young couple had come by the church, he said, and requested that he marry them during the service.
While the congregation was trying to digest that, Johnson and Scott Rosekrans, both leaders in the church, walked up to the front.
But it was not until Pint entered with her maid of honor, Lillian Tiller, and stood beside Johnson that the congregation caught on.
‘No idea it was going to happen’
“Most people had no idea it was going to happen,” Ankeny said.
Two people sitting near the front were in on the secret: Bob and Liz Moss of Sequim.
Longtime friends of the bride, they had come over for the wedding, but when as guests they were asked to introduce themselves at the start of the service, Bob said they were there because they were “visiting different churches.”
The music director and organist, Terry Reitz, was also forewarned, breaking into a bridal march for Pint’s entrance.
Then, facing each other and joining both their hands, Johnson and Pint repeated the time-honored vows: “For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
After they exchanged rings, Ankeny declared them husband and wife, and Johnson kissed the bride.
The new couple were presented to the congregation, and Reitz played “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” as they walked down the aisle, accepting congratulations.
Coffee hour doubled as the reception, with a cake that the bridge and groom cut together, the bride feeding a bit to her husband by hand.
The honeymoon lasted two days. The groom had to be back in town the following Tuesday afternoon to play at Seaport Landing with his five-piece instrumental group Nostalgia.
Johnson belongs to several ensembles and maintains a busy schedule of gigs.
In the fall of 2001, he was recruited by the local school district to substitute-teach for three weeks until a band teacher could be found.
Stayed for long haul
He ended up staying the entire school year, directing bands at the high school, middle school and upper elementary.
He was married for 52 years to Jean Ann (Cays) Johnson, who died in 2009.
Members of the family who knew about the wedding and attended were daughter Cathy Langley and spouse Pete Langley, son Eric Johnson and Pauline Delaney-Johnson, granddaughter Jenni Potter and spouse Brian Potter, and great-grandchildren Mariah, Josiah, Hannah, Olivia and Micah.
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Jennifer Jackson is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend. To contact her, email jjackson@olypen.com.
