There are advertisements in the paper and on TV for wedding preparations. I am amazed at the work there is to prepare for a big wedding. Bride and groom have to reserve the banquet site a year in advance, sometimes. Then, they have use of the hall for a limited time. It used to be that weddings lasted all day and into the night.
When I was a little girl, My mother assisted a local florist. She delivered the flowers when the florist had a conflict. Everyone gets married on a Saturday. Mom took one wedding. The florist took the other one. No one used a baby sitter then. Both my sister and I accompanied my mother. Children were welcomed at weddings. Of course, We knew proper behavior. We sat quietly through the church ceremony and didn't run amok during the reception.
How lovely to be a little girl and look at all the pretty brides. Each bride was beautiful. The dresses were beautiful. They all had long veils that covered their heads. At the end of the ceremony, the groom lifted the veil and kissed the bride. The congregation exploded in congratulations. Lifting the veil is a symbol of the groom taking the virginity of his bride. How many brides are virgins today?
The bride's dress was more demure than they are today. Today's bride dresses look like prom dresses to me. I don't care for strapless and sleeveless. Tacky. Yesterday's bride wore long sleeves, even in the summer. I remember one dress that had the cuffs extended to a point covering the bride's hands. Her middle finger went through a loop that was attached to the point. This held the sleeve in place, giving her a nice long arm look...very medieval and charming. She looked like a queen. The sleeve showed off her new wedding rings. the ultimate, perfect wedding dress that I remember, was worn by Grace Kelly. I didn't attend that wedding. The wedding was covered by the press. I saw the pictures.
Yesterday's weddings lasted through two meals...lunch and dinner, followed by dancing. Later, cookies and coffee was served. The best weddings were Polish and Italian. You could feel the familial love between family members. Today's weddings are too short to mingle with all the guests. You have to get out of the hall so staff can set up the next wedding. What a waste of money. All that preparation for just a few hours?
I admit to being turned off by today's weddings. I watch America's Funniest Home Videos on TV. Weddings seem to be a joke now a days. What is funny about fights at the reception? Shoving cake into your spouse's face? Music so loud that you can't hear conversation? The type of music that excludes the older generation? Music that you can't dance to. Doesn't anyone know how to waltz any more? I guess not.
There is a new thing called destination weddings. This is a good way to exclude a lot of relatives who can't afford to fly to Easter Island or whereever the wedding is. Why not save the traveling for the honeymoon?
Just for the record, you can get married in your church and have the reception in your back yard. Your relatives can stay as long as they want and help clean up the dishes...and nibble on the leftovers. Kids and dogs are welcome. Cost less, too.
It used to be that a man got a college education. The woman got a big wedding instead. I think this is a bad deal for the woman. Life has a way of handing challenges. She needs her education as much as her husband does. She now helps pay the bills. If her husband dies or is disabled, she has to pay all the bills. I also think a man would find a woman with a good mind, a better companion that one who settles to be "just a housewife".