I work in a no-brainer job, so I have a lot of time to think of stuff. Some of the stuff I think of can be pretty far out there, too. Of course, since I'm working with an acetylene torch, I do have to pay some attention to my work, or disastrous things may occur. But I digress...
Today, of all things, I was thinking about weddings. Actually, I started thinking about musicals, which made me remember a wedding between a former pastor's son and his bride. I didn't go, but B did and brought me back a program. Both the bride and the groom were music majors, and there were 11 songs in their wedding. Eleven! Songs! Let's see, the bride sang a song to the groom, the groom sang a song to the bride, the happy couple sang a song together, the best man sang a song to the happy couple, the maid of honor sang a song to the happy couple, the best man and maid of honor sang a song to the happy couple together... When you consider the average song is 3 1/2 minutes long, you're looking at 45 minutes just of music. That's not a wedding. That's a stage show.
Maybe that's why they had programs. I have never been to a wedding that had programs. I didn't have programs at my wedding. Since I paid for the entire thing myself (note I said "myself"--not "my husband and I"--I even had to buy my own ring, or I wouldn't have gotten one) I went with the bare basics. Dr. Phil says the average cost of a wedding these days is $25,000. Mine didn't cost nearly that much. I overheard a co-worker several years ago saying that her parents spent $1500 just on flowers. That's about what I paid for my entire wedding. Including my dress.
My cousin Judy made my dress, so I only had to pay for materials--about $300 worth. But it was a beautiful dress. My album is still in the old house, but maybe tomorrow I'll go dig it out and post a picture.
Anyway, I decided if I ever get married again, it'll be even cheaper. It will be me and the groom and the preacher in his office, and the secretary can come in and witness. The preacher will turn to the groom and say, "Do ya?"
To which the groom will reply, "I do."
Then the preacher will turn to me and say, "Do ya?"
To which I'll reply, "I do."
Then the preacher will say, "It's done", and it'll be done.
OK, I'm done!
4 comments:
I've gotten a good look at the difference over the years. My own wedding ran under $5000 (despite my far-from-poor parents paying for it). I just couldn't see fronting insane amounts of money. I made my own wedding dress, the bridesmaids flowers were single stargazer lilies mounted on lace fans (Total flower cost $150). Nobody felt deprived except the vendors, who kept trying to talk me into more, more, more!
Last month I was matron of honor at a $40,000 blow-out. It was a really lovely wedding, and everybody had a lot of fun, but you know? The very best moments weren't the expensive ones, and the guests really didn't have more fun than the ones at my wedding - they just got drunker.
Patti, I can just see you getting married by an Elvis impersonator! I'll be sure and be there.
Cindy, you are so right that the best moments weren't the expensive ones. I've found that an expensive wedding does not a good marriage make.
My bouquet and that of my sister were handmade by my cousin, who bought the stuff for them at Wal-mart. Silk flowers, but I still have them. And they looked just as good as any others I've seen.
P.S I didn't have programs and I've been divorced for a decade as well, so they don't have anything to do with whether a marriage lasts.
My wedding in 1977 was cheap and easy. Before the wedding, the preacher said, "I'm gonna say do ya, do ya, and you're gonna say yeah, yeah. Then we are going to the party." That was about it, too
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