Hmm... I guess it helps to clarify with the solemnizer what to expect during the solemnization.. I guess some couples would like to kiss, others may not want to kiss... in my case, he also didn't say groom can kiss the bride, but my husband and I are okay with that. Actually, we would have been quite embarressed if he had asked us to kiss... we're quite conservative!!
I think he meant it as a joke when you called to apologise for the AP incident. I think if he really minded not receiving any AP, he would have showed a black face! After all, solemnizers like him don't receive any reimbursement at all for their trnasport and time ... so they "depend" on our APs to reimbursement them... I read some threads here where solemnizer showed black face cos AP too little $...