A Wedding: Holiday of Wonderment
I love attending weddings!
Over the weekend I was at the celebration of two dear friends tying the knot and it was fantastic!
So much is wrapped up in that singular event. Not only are there emotional elements at play but also physical, financial and atmospheric factors to be considered.
Choosing the date: Will the weather hold up? Will everyone be able to make it?
The Guest List: Who will be invited? Is the number manageable?
The Decorations: How much is too much?
The families: A small bit of sadness will taint the preparations as farewells to the son or daughter moving on into a married partnership are likely.
The speeches: The fun, the emotional, the bawdy, must be crafted carefully and shared with feeling. But the audience, there to feel good no matter what, will be understanding. Laughter and tears will be shared as applause signals appreciation and entertainment.
And then of course, comes the Bride and Groom: After vows are spoken and photographs captured, they will be given their moment in the festivities to really shine, when they will express their heartfelt gratitude to all who have “made this day so special.” They will conclude by toasting each other in probably the most profound and public way they will ever express in their lives again. And they will anxiously look forward to the new chapter: the changing of names, building a life outside of themselves, and a hearty adieu to a singular vision will be issued.
The Friends who have eagerly anticipated the grand affair will at long last be given the chance to commemorate the day with the couple. Everyone will be excited and happy. Love for their own partners or the dream of such a fantasy, will be in the air. Stress will disintegrate into cheers, laughter, drinking and dancing. And that’s when the smart phones will come out…
But then, when the heels are kicked off, the rental tuxes turned in, the gifts unwrapped, the guest departed to their corners of the world, the honeymoon will be over.
There is a down after the high, a sort of deflating of the party balloon. For in that one singular day, every individual moment for the bridal party or guests, carries tremendous weight.
It can be waking up to the sound of the alarm heralding the BIG EVENT, or waiting for the limo en route to the church to arrive. It can be the stress of praying your spouse-to-be shows up, or friends hoping there is plenty of tissues available to embrace all the tears shed. It could be sharing a private moment with a pal before opening the door to the next phase of life or trusting that you will be able to get through the vows without throwing up or forgetting a line. It can be making sure clutch purses are fully stocked with band-aids for expected blisters or hoping someone has thought of cab fare to the banquet hall. Or, it can be something as beautiful as taking a moment to look out over the room filled with so much love and friendship that you don’t even know how your heart can truly contain it all.
No matter what the instance, each episode is so precious, so treasured. The day becomes a holiday from routine where the only goal is to enjoy yourself, regard your blessings and savour that inexplicable bliss for as long as you can.
Because come Monday morning, the kids still need to be wakened for school, the bills still have to be paid and important appointments still need to be met.
And so cheers to our dear Newlywed friends! May you be fortunate enough to have a mundane life just as exciting 🙂