It was a "shotgun" wedding alright, no denying that. With scatterguns close at hand, the groom dared not flee.
The bride-to-be, with camouflage train in tow, passed through "his and her" shotguns and walked through pink shotshell hulls strewn along the walkway. She stopped at her assigned position in front of traphouse No. 3 at the Minot Gun Club. Waiting for her was Matt Munson. No, he really wasn't being held at gunpoint.
"Got the ring on my finger. No one ran. No one chased me down," laughed Munson following the ceremony that was held under brilliant sunshine Saturday afternoon. The wedding was a first for the Minot Gun Club, but a natural choice for the newlyweds.
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Shortly after sharing their vows, newlyweds Matt and Arlene Munson shouldered their firearms. Their Saturday afternoon “shotgun” wedding was a first for the Minot Gun Club.
"Matt has worked out here since he was about 14 years old as a trap kid, setting up traphouses and such," said Mike Munson, father of the groom. "He proposed to Arlene out here at the Gun Club and then figured this is where they'd want to have their wedding. We were on board with that."
The color scheme was black, orange and camouflage. Black and orange are the colors of clay targets. Camouflage was used as an accent to signify hunting, an activity shared by the couple.
"We both really like hunting," said Arlene Munson, shortly after the wedding. "We've been planning this for a year and a half."
With the guests seated between the 17- and 23-yard lines in front of the traphouse, Pastor Michael Johnson, Christ Lutheran Church, performed the ceremony. If he was worried about conducting the "shotgun" wedding, he didn't show it. However, he did have a few comments after the exchange of vows.
"As weddings go, I think this ranks near the top. This was a lot of fun," said Johnson. "I don't usually do weddings at the Gun Club but, as long as they say the vows and the license is signed, nothing else matters."
Quite a wedding it was, one that won't be forgotten by those who attended.
"It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. It's been wonderful," said Connie Munson, mother of the groom. "I just want them to live happy for the rest of their lives."