Deaf Couple Marry

NORRIS-CAREY: When Colleen Joan, daughter of Mr and Mrs H. P. Carey, Ruawai, and Norman Garry, son of Mrs C. Norris, Auckland, and the late Mr Norris were married in Ruawai the officiating minister, the Rev. H. Moore, used for the first time a specially modified version of the service for the totally deaf. The bride and groom and three other members of the wedding party were deaf and 30 of the guests had also attended the School for Deaf at Titirangi, where the bride and groom met. Matron of honour was Mrs Diane Burch, Gisborne, and Miss Valarie Latham, Auckland, was bridesmaid. Mr Peter Joll, Auckland, was best man and Mr Terry Siviter, Auckland, was groomsman. Mr Moore says that although a wedding of a deaf couple was not unusual in Auckland he thinks it is the first time such a ceremony has taken place in Northland. The difficulty experienced in modifying the service was to alter it so it did not lose the scriptural context or the order of service and yet allow those who were deaf to follow the ceremony.