While this time of year is busy for many accountants and tax professionals, few are also asked to perform a wedding as part of their duties.
The same cannot be said for John Capron, one of Bethlehem’s municipal marriage officers and a local tax pro for H&R Block. On Saturday, Feb. 22, Capron married Robert Robles and Ashley Popma of Rotterdam, just minutes after he prepared their taxes.
“They were coming in to have their taxes done anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone,” said Capron.
Robles and Popma said they knew their wedding plans may sound odd to some people, but to them it felt right. Robles and his siblings had been visiting Capron since they were teenagers to get their taxes done, and the two families had become close. After Robles and Popma began dating three years ago, Popma also began using Capron for all her tax purposes.
“I was going to marry (Robles’) older brother, but my son got married the same day so I couldn’t,” said Capron.
The entire staff at the H&R Block location at Delaware Plaza worked together to pull off the event. After Robles and Popma had their taxes prepared for free as an early wedding present, the couple was asked to step into a back room decorated in lime green. A cardboard cutout of H&R Block’s advertising spokesman, Richard Gartland, stood in the corner and acted as Robles’ “best man.”
Although the event acted as the legal wedding for Robles and Popma and they read vows each had written for the other, no family or friends were invited to the occasion.
“We didn’t want either side to feel left out or cheated in some way because my family is from out of state,” said Popma, who is originally from Massachusetts.
Family and friends will travel to Mexico with the couple when they have their celebratory ceremony on March 10. The pair opted to get married in Mexico in homage of their first date at El Loco Mexican Cafe in Albany, after meeting through an online dating site.
“We were discussing today how I would get my dress there,” said Popma. “I said if they give me any trouble, I’ll just go in the bathroom, put it on and wear it on the plane ride.” Robles joked if that was the case, he would also wear his suit so they could match.
Although the affair was light in nature, Capron took his job very seriously and gave the same sermon he would give to couples being married in normal circumstances. He spoke of the preciousness of one’s time and how it is important to spend it with loved ones.
“You can always make more money, but not more time,” Capron told the couple. “Time is a sacrifice, and sacrifice is the essence of love.”
The two shared a hug and a small kiss at the end of the ceremony, before going on to cut the cake provided to them by H&R Block.
Capron said although some may think the wedding to be unusual, he’s married people in the office a number of times. Since 1996, Capron said he’s married about 15 couples at the H&R Block location where he works. One pair even came in a wedding dress and suit because they planned to go out and celebrate afterwards. Typically, H&R Block employees will stand in as witnesses.
Robles said it was the most exciting tax preparation session he’s ever had. He said if anyone was going to marry them, they wanted it to be Capron.
“Are you sure you can’t come to Mexico with us?” Robles asked Capron after the ceremony.
Capron joked the couple could blame his boss for not being able to take vacation time. “That’s what you get for getting married during tax season.”