An Ottawa high school teacher who's known to students for his commitment to his work says he's ready to take that loyalty one step further.

Paul Griffin, a drama instructor at Canterbury High School, is preparing to tie the knot with his place of employment in a farcical wedding ceremony.

"I basically live at the school," he explained to CTV Ottawa on Saturday. "But it's a tongue-in-cheek kind of thing and I'm not married. Why don't I marry the school?"

For its part, the school apparently agreed to take Griffin up on the offer.

A local church has been booked and a formal ceremony is planned out. Participants intend to roll a scale model of Canterbury High down the aisle at the wedding.

"There is somebody to officiate, there will be vows…and apparently, we have to pick a song and there'll be a dance," said Griffin.

Another unusual aspect of this already bizarre match is that Griffin has no reservations about admitting that the motive behind the wedding is financial.

The ceremony is a fundraiser for a group of Griffith's students that have been invited to perform at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

His students plan to perform "Criminals, Lunatics, Women and Idiots," a play named after groups the government once forbid from voting, at the three-week festival.

Money raised at the wedding ceremony will offset the costs of the Scotland trip.

"We have a registry, so you can actually pick an object and say ‘I want to give this.' Which is of course, a money donation," said Griffin.

Internet surfers can peruse the mock registry, which has lists of gifts ranging from $10 to $100. If someone wants to give the couple a $100 "ping pong table," for instance, a monetary donation would be made with a description of the fictional gift.

Griffin plans to "marry" his school on May 19 at 4 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Ottawa.



With a report from CTV Ottawa

