Weddings

This weekend's gonna be busy. I'm going to a wedding in Delaware on Saturday afternoon, and another wedding in Mansfield on Sunday night. Sat - family, Sun - friend.

It got me thinking about how many weddings I've been to. I honestly can't even tell you. Since I started college I've probably been to 3-5 a year consistently. Recently, the number has increased I'm sure. A wedding weekend is nothing new to me. I'm actually getting quite sick of the things in general. Other than these this weekend, I can think of four more just this summer. I even had a friend today tell me their relationship was moving into marriage prospects. Its a bombardment, really.

Weddings are strange to me. They're like the stars, if you think about them too long they don't make any sense. There is so much work for so little. Gobs of money and time and thought and stress and compromise and money go into a day. People are invited from the farthest reaches of your family to come see thirty minutes of a ceremony. A ceremony that for some reason requires so much preparation for the participants to ... speak. That's it. A wedding is just about two people coming together in front of God, a pastor (or judge), and family to say, "You know what? I love you so much I want to make a contract that I'll never leave you. That's how serious I am."

This may sound like a rant, but its not against weddings, per say. Its more against how weddings are done now. Its not a concert, its not a grand opening of a hotel, its not Christmas in New York... it shouldn't cost thousands of dollars.
$1200 wedding dress? $2000 for flowers? $700 in tuxes? A full meal for all your guests? AND you invited 350 people?

Does any of this make any sense? I think all the pomp and preparation that goes into a modern wedding drastically takes away from the actual meaning of the day. Its, "all 500 of the invitations are made and they misspelled my name," not, "soon I'm going to have your name." Its, "I hope the DJ doesn't say anything lewd or the mother-in-law go out to catch the bouquet," not, "I can't believe we'll get to be together all the time." Its turned from something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue... into that church's too old, I want gold china too, your sister can't be a bridesmaid, her skin doesn't match my colors- ivory and blue.

What happened? Where is the "marriage"? The day is about two people. Not six attendants on each side and making sure they're all sober. Its about vowing to stay with each other till death, not spending the down payment on a house on one party for a fling that lasts a year. Its about a family... the ones who actually know the bridegroom, being apart of a momentous day. They get to hear two people say, "You're worth so much to me, I pledge myself to you. I want to make sure you'll have someone to take care of you when you're sick, work extra jobs when you're poor, hold your hand when your family/job/church is driving you nuts... and celebrate when none of that is happening."

I'm a drama major and I'm saying, all that pomp and production is distracting people. Its taking away from the couple as they plan, its taking away from the guests on the day, and its taking away the glory, from God.

Before you say anything about me not understanding because I haven't been through it, I've been in six weddings. Two I helped in the planning stages. One I was a best man. I even was in two on the same day! My family calls me 27 tuxes.

So make it simple, people. Maybe then you won't get cold feet, or have bruised groomsmen from getting drunk, or feuding families because of details. Look nice, get together, say the real vows (sickness, health, richer, poorer... PROMISE THINGS), and make sure you remember...

... God gave you that person. Thank Him.