I must say, I love weddings nowadays! When I got married, it was all the same. We walked down the aisle to the wedding march, we had wedding coordinators who were almost militant like who choreographed and counted each movement and step. There were unity candles, bridesmaids in matching shoes and dresses. All wonderful and beautiful, but the most personality we interjected was what we wore and the occasional brave bride who would change the music.
But now our brides are swaying down the aisle to popular music that signifies who they are. Bridesmaids are given a color or idea and are allowed to pick out something they feel compliments their body type and not just the maid of honors’.
And the venues are amazing. My cousin Monique was married in April, at The Mountain Top Inn, in Vermont. The venue was a beautiful cozy inn that looked like it was pulled from a movie set. With a string quartet announcing her entrance, she was married outside with the backdrop of the Vermont Green Mountains. Her wedding party consisted of their young nieces and nephews. I have never seen such a devoted group of wedding attendants. The wedding of Catholic bride and Jewish groom was officiated by a Lutheran Minister. At the end of the ceremony, a couple came up and gave us all a beautiful education of the Jewish tradition of the couple breaking a glass to complete the ceremony. It was a cold April day, so guests were provided with hand warmers and blankets to help break the Vermont Mountain chill.
My niece Alaina was married in June at the Whitewater Conservatory in Iowa with the beautiful backdrop of a canyon and lake. They wrote and spoke their own vows that were lovingly written in homemade books crafted by the bride. Guests put their wedding gifts in the back of a classic old pickup. After the wedding, we all went to a barn where we ate BBQ, wedding cake and wedding pie, then danced until we couldn’t breathe. It was summer and the bugs were out, so there was a basket of bug spray that guests were encouraged to use.
Wedding guest gifts are another new tradition. They also seem to mirror the personality of the couple. For my cousins wedding, they gave everyone maple leaf shaped bottles of Vermont syrup. At my nieces wedding, they gave out jars of homemade jam, life is sweet…
The unity candle was always a big tradition. My niece chose a unity cross they put together at the ceremony. I have a friend who went to a wedding where they had a unity plant. The families each brought up a pitcher of water that the couple used to water a plant.
Traditional weddings are nice, but I envy these young couples who are making their wedding a reflection of their personalities.
Traditional or not though I love that there are couples who are still willing to make the ultimate commitment to one another. In 1 Corinthians 13:13 St Paul reminds us: “Three things remain faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love.” These 2 couples shared the kind of committment that will not only bring them a lifetime of happiness and joy but will also bring faith, hope, and love to all whose lives they touch.
Next year my niece Tasha will be getting married in Arizona, we are looking forward to another celebration that will again bring our family together to celebrate the hope and joy for the beautiful future that weddings bring!
Pink Hat Gypsy 