Thoughtful Wedding
I’m pretty sure every bride can attest that they put a lot of thought into their wedding day. Some brides hire a wedding planner because there is too much to think about when planning one of the biggest events in a person’s life. I notice that whenever they mention weddings in the Bible, it sounds like even back then, many people contributed to the preparations of a wedding. It makes me wonder - if we are celebrating the union of two people, why is it the couple’s responsibility to cater to and pamper the needs of their guests? Isn’t making a commitment to spend the rest of their lives with one person enough responsibility?
Imagine showing up to a wedding reception that was NOT set up to please guests but rather set up as a “serve yourself” occasion? What if the wedding couple didn’t care if their guests were well-fed, comfortable or felt welcomed? Fortunately, like it has always been (since the Bible), weddings are quite the opposite. I was fortunate enough to attend a really thoughtful wedding this past weekend. Each guest felt very much catered to and pampered. Plus, we received many thoughtful pinches from the bride and the groom.
Because we are currently navigating life during this Covid pandemic, my cousin Pauline (the bride) had to make adjustments to her wedding plans as the months got closer to the original wedding date. Her guest list needed to be very small (40 people max) in order to comply with the health guidelines and safely host the wedding reception that they envisioned. Pauline made a difficult decision not to invite ANY of her friends to her wedding. Not one friend. Maybe Pauline opted to invite only family because if she invited one friend, then surely another friend would be hurt or sad. When I found out that the wedding size was that small, I didn’t expect to make the cut. On one hand, I was pleasantly surprised to have been invited but on the other, I felt super guilty for taking the place of a Bestie or a BFF.
I didn’t push my luck by asking more about the guest list - probably because I knew the bride must have wrestled with this dilemma for weeks. If she would have me, I was willing to be with her in person to show my support. As the wedding festivities began, I quickly started to absorb all of the thought that went into their wedding and I must say, I found some other moments to be bittersweet.
Box contents: Malvi Marshmallows, JQ Dickinson Salt, hangover solution packets, local sparkling water, face masks and wipes.
Another time I felt a little bitter sweet was at the church. As Pauline was being escorted down the aisle by her dad (my uncle), I saw how beautiful she was. Her whole look was just flawless; her make up, hair, the dress she wore was so perfect. I looked around, there were only sprinkles of people in the pews. I wished so badly that Covid didn’t prevent the church from being full. I wished it was standing room only. I wished her friends and family were there so that they could see how beautiful Pauline was as she met Nick at the altar. On one hand, I felt so honored to be one the few there in the church and on the other hand, so many others deserved to be there too.
After bacon-wrapped gouda drizzled with honey and/or delicious shrimp appetizers, champagne, Old Fashioned and/or Aviation cocktails, we headed over to the outdoor dinning area.
All of this is just scratching the surface - there are months of work that I am not including in this post. Many of these features are above and beyond but there is a lot of thought that goes into a wedding. I am proud of Pauline and Nick for being brave enough to get married during all of this. I am grateful that they let me share in their joy. I admire their selflessness in giving up a guest list that I am positive I would not have the heart to do. May the thoughtfulness you gave to your guests on your special day, come back to you ten times more. Thank you!
Pinches,
Barb