THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
I spent last weekend at a time-honored springtime event, a wedding.
It got me thinking. I have been to some pretty spectacular events where two people become one.
What is a wedding?
Bless This Day. Pinnacle of Life.
I like to think it is when two people confirm and proclaim they have found their best friend.
Someone they will support in the mental, emotional, or physical low times and celebrate in the high.
And I hope it is for love and laughter, two things vitally important in any loving relationship.
The “looks” will change.
The shapely young bodies will take on different shapes.
Some will get richer. Others will be poorer, especially if they only base it on a bank account.
In the end, it is not the stuff you have accumulated. It is the memories.
That’s why love and laughter become so important. They are the makers of memories.
What’s a Wedding? A pre-historic ritual?
Weddings are certainly different from the olden days.
It was a knock over the head with a club and back to the cave in prehistoric days.
Or what about the generations of family-arranged marriages?
More a business deal than a relationship. Gee, that must have been fun and a half.
Over the last 2000 years, there have been many church weddings.
I remember at my Mom and Dad’s wedding…
No, not really. Just checking to see who is still with me this far.
From photos, it was the “traditional” white dress, something borrowed. Then off to a reception where everyone eats except the bride and groom.
It’s a Nice Day for a White Wedding.
But what if the dress isn’t white and flowing? Does every bride need to look like Julie Andrews becoming a von Trapp?
What if it doesn’t take place inside a church?
Is God not present in a garden, on a hillside, or along the shore?
Is the wedding day strictly so your friends and family can eat dry chicken and complain about the cake?
Or for you to collect the twenty-seven dinner plates and thirty-seven butter knives?
To me, it is a time to confess your loyalty to your B.F.F. in front of family and friends.
The person you want to go through good times and bad times with.
Everything else, to me, is additional.
Am I saying skip the cake, return the gift, and boil the rice?
No. But don’t start your new life with 30 years of debt to the caterer and dove wrangler trying to impress.
There’s A Small Hotel.
And I am not poo-pooing a romantic or meaningful location.
That is whip cream on the buttercream cake.
For instance, this last weekend, the small wedding party and guests stayed in a historic inn on a lake.
The ceremony took place less than a five-minute walk from the inn in another historic building.
The entire group, less than 30 in size, fit comfortably into a nearby restaurant for dinner.
It was a perfect wedding and reception for that couple.
They start the new chapter with many great memories and a few dozen tea towels.
I have been to weddings with 8+ groomsmen and a guest list of well over 300 of their closest friends. Usually, these are in large churches due to the need for lots of seats and parking.
It was a perfect wedding and reception for that couple.
Going To The Chapel.
Another wedding took place in a one-room chapel in the middle of a Texas rose garden. The reception was in the nearby farmhouse and under a tent.
Another wedding was in a small clearing with trees forming a canopy over the bride and groom.
Sail Away.
For years, a big selling point on cruise ships was an onboard chapel. You could throw a wedding, then sail away on your honeymoon.
I believe strict security measures put an end to many of these unless the whole group was sailing.
And Nevada has several options for those wishing to make life-altering decisions on a whim.
A few years back, I went to a wedding at a distillery. More specifically, on the grounds of a distillery.
There was a private space for the ceremony and another larger space for the reception and dancing.
Although the setting may not have been “traditional,” there was a white dress, something borrowed, and something new.
The memories are priceless.
It was a perfect wedding and reception for that couple. And I liked it too.
Around The World.
Some go to a different state to have a wedding.
True, it might be to the Bride or Groom’s hometown. But more and more, I hear of destination weddings.
I believe the number of guests attending reflects how many miles away the venue is.
Or sometimes, what the venue is.
A certain entertainment company near Orlando, Florida, can make fairytale wishes come true.
See note above about 30-year debt payoff.
More and more, I hear about Americans going to European destinations for the wedding and honeymoon.
Depending on your finances, you might not be able to attend a wedding in Paris.
Right now, I couldn’t afford to attend one in Paris, Texas.
Maybe the wedding takes place in Hawaii, Havanna, or Helsinki.
With a later reception at the Holiday Inn Hometown?
Mama Mia.
When the bride or groom lives in a European country, that’s a different story.
Has anyone seen the movie “Mama Mia” and not wished for or to attend a Greek wedding?
Spoiler alert, filming did not take place in the chapel at the top. The interior shots were at a church in town with much fewer steps.
I have been fortunate to attend two weddings in Greece. And I may hear Greek bells ringing again in the not too distant future.
The first was at a Byzantine church in the old Plaka area of Athens.
The reception was nearby in the National Gardens in the Zappeion complex.
A few summers ago, I was back in Greece for another wedding.
This time a destination wedding on the island of Serifos, three hours from Athens by ferry.
Although not requiring Olympic endurance to reach (like the chapel in Mama Mia), there were quite a few steps.
Then there was a reception on the nearby beach.
Greek food, drink, and dancing until long after I was back at the hotel asleep.
Both were the perfect location for those couples.
I am happy to say, almost all of the aforementioned couples are still together.
With a divorce rate in America around 50%, they are certainly beating the odds.
I cannot take all the credit for this…
Wedding Location Summary.
I am not poo-pooing the flowers, the choice of colors, or the location.
However, I wonder if, maybe sometimes, all the “other stuff” doesn’t blur the real reason for the occasion.
I like to think they have a relationship with friendship as the foundation.
Pretty brides, and pretty weddings, and pretty houses, cars, paychecks, are all nice things in addition.
But is there any less love in a church basement serving punch than the reception with Liza Minelli singing?
Is the location one where the people most important to you can attend?
If the budget allows you to fly everyone to Santorini for a sunset service, fantastic.
If not, have the wedding at sunset and cater from the House of Santorini.
Or have Aunt Voula whip up 100 dozen wedding cookies.
“In richer or poorer” is just one part of the traditional wedding vows.
Nowhere does it say plunge yourself into poorer.
Quoting Robert Louis Stevenson, the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.
And a massive steamer trunk of memories. Maybe I added that part.
The wedding will create memories.
Don’t lose sight of the reason because of the view from the location.
I will celebrate your happy day anywhere (if I can reach it.)
And my crocheted tea towels and candle holders pack nicely so I can present my gift in person.
So pick the location that is right for you.
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“Where would you like to attend a wedding?
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.