“You may kiss the bride.” This part would have been at the top of my list of things I dislike about weddings, but I love love stories. However, I think some adjustments need to be made to the duration of kissing, as some groom and bride might turn the moment into some clipped scenes from their bedroom, and I don’t think any responsible couple would want that part in the open.
I can’t remember attending any wedding event that was not interesting, but there are some parts I think need to be excused. As a Christian, I have attended several church weddings, and the program of events is often the same. The bride’s father walks the bride down the aisle all the way to the front. This scene is always emotional because the reality of letting go dawns on both the father and his daughter, especially those with close bonds. I think I like this part.
The part that gets scary and that I really dislike is the part where the church makes a call to check if anyone doesn’t agree with the marriage. The tension in the air is always very high. “Should anyone present know of any reason why this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony? Speak now or forever hold your peace.” As the pastor makes the call, both the bride and groom are often scared because, at this point, anything could go wrong.
I have heard and seen in some movies how some marriages got separated at this point, and some people even fainted after knowing whatever the reason was why they couldn’t be joined. Some churches have upgraded their wedding programs to stop featuring this tragic call. Whether it’s right or not is not my focus. I just dislike the tension it brings. A day that should be a day of joy can turn sour at any moment.
If I have my way, I prefer a very solemn wedding without any noise or invitation from everyone. Only my small circle of friends and relevant family members are all I want. One other thing I find really disturbing about weddings is the attendance of uninvited guests.
In a place like Nigeria, especially if you are from the Yoruba tribe, it is very hard to prevent strangers from joining your guests. It is not the fact that they are strangers that pains me, but the nuisance they might end up constituting.
There was the case of a lady who gate-crashed a family wedding I attended some years ago. The plan was to give some well packed food to everyone who attended the church wedding because we suspected some people might not attend the reception.
We didn’t have issues with people having multiple packs of food, but we never expected anyone to be lousy about it. This young lady started complaining about how she didn’t get any food and was even noisy about it.
No one noticed her until she started shouting, and this was what exposed her as an uninvited guest. The funny thing is, she was served more food, but we all knew that none of our family members or even our invited guests would act like that even if they weren’t served.
I dislike gate crashers at weddings, although that is currently what is in vogue. As long as you can dress well and feel comfortable, you’ll always find a wedding party to attend, especially on weekends.
Even though weddings may feature a few things I dislike, I still love the fact that it is a platform that heralds a love journey, especially with all the emotional spices. Love is always a beautiful thing.
