subject: Love, Laughter, Smiles, Happiness And Weddings [print this page] Behind wedding ceremonies there are many traditions that play out. Some of them make sense and some of them do not. How many wedding receptions or ceremonies have you been to? What did each ceremony have in common? Sometimes the only things that vary are the two people getting married and the color scheme. Traditions are usually great ways to honor your family, but as traditions get passed down through so many generations is there not a point where they lose the meaning they once had? I am referring to some of the silly things that go on at weddings nowadays. I recently found myself at a wedding reception. It started with the line.
The line. Do you know what I am talking about? It is that famous and terribly painful line that that so many couples and their families chose to put themselves through as a way to greet guests. It usually consists of the groom's parents standing on one side of the couple, with the bride's parents standing on the other side of the couple. They stand in this line for hours while newly arriving guests come by and shake their hands. We all know they do not want to be standing there. You can almost see the father-in-law's face cringe as he has to fake interest in and greet the thirteenth straight unfamiliar guest (the classic so-and-so who is friends of so-and-so). It is not like it is for the guests either. Most people probably either come to see the bride or the groom, not to shake the hands of all the in-laws. If it seems silly, why is it so common? Tradition. Maybe this is a visual demonstration that the parents approve of their kids getting married. If it is, maybe they should stick political signs at the entrance. They could read, "I am John Matthews and I approve this wedding." At least this way they could sit down and we would all be spared "the line." This would be a tradition that generations in the future would be grateful to have.
The list of traditions we follow almost instinctively could go on and on. The most important thing that will never change is the commitment and love found at weddings. That is why weddings will always be a favorite event in society. True love, the bride, smiles, laughing, joy, family unity, let us keep it focused on what is most important.
