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Percival Singson

The marriage ceremony of local couple Tim and Michelle, officiated by Mayor Waller.

At approximately 6:42 PM, Eastern Standard Time on December 3rd, the Piscataway Township Christmas Tree was jointly lit by Tim and Michelle, local newlyweds, and the Piscataway Pop Warner football team.

The tree lighting ceremony started as usual. Santa arrived at the town hall on a fire truck from the River Road Fire Company, with the sirens blaring and emergency lights flashing. As he exited, he greeted the local children attending the lighting and the members of the town pop warner, who were originally going to light the tree.

However, after Santa arrived, there was a new surprise in store: not only was this going to be an average holiday tree lighting; it was going to be a wedding.

Tim and Michelle, a local couple, intended to get married on December 3rd, at around 4 PM in the town hall. But to their temporary misfortune, they had forgotten to purchase a marriage license. After realizing this while at the town hall preparing to get married, they then drove down to Brick Township, about a two hour round trip down the parkway to purchase their license. By the time they had gotten back, it was dark, and the tree lighting was going to happen within the hour. On a whim, they decided to get married in front of the tree.

Their unconventional ceremony was attended by the city council, two local girl scout troops, the Piscataway Township pop warner football tea,, a handful of town residents, firefighters from the River Road Fire Company, local friends and family of the couple, and other family members of the couple who could not make it to the ceremony via FaceTime. The ceremony was officiated by the mayor of Piscataway, Brian C. Waller, and the rings were presented to the couple by Santa Claus before the couple recited their vows. And then they were married.

In addition, the entire ceremony was recorded by the township community news channel, PCTV.

After the two had officially been married, the mayor gathered both the couple and the pop warner members in front of the Christmas tree, and at 6:42 they hit the switch that lit the tree for the first time this year. The tree wasn’t the only thing that had been switched on during the lighting, a large LED sign wishing all who pass by a season’s greetings and a giant lit dreidel were also illuminated.

It had started as an ordinary town tree lighting, but by the end it was a night to remember for everyone who had attended.