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It was a prestigious wedding
ceremony with all the "right" people there. There were seven bridesmaids and
groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers, live music - elegance everywhere. The
bride looked like an angel in her gown and the groom could have substituted for
a male model on the front of GQ in his designer tuxedo. There was no end to the
elegance or to the expense. The sad thing was that no one seemed happy.
The bride and groom had been fighting all day the day before the wedding and
were still angry. The mother and father of the bride were squabbling, and the
father of the groom was drunk and rowdy. We couldn't find the mother of the
groom but she appeared just as the ceremony was to begin and didn't look too
pleased. There were a lot of very expensive gifts on the gift table and the
guests were dressed in their finest.
The wedding cost a minimum of $100,000 but something was missing - love. I was
happy to be headed home when the officiating was finished.
Contrast this with another wedding.
The bride was eight months pregnant and only the two families attended. The
bride wore a lovely short maternity dress and the groom wore a nice suit that
obviously was not new. He was handsome and excited about this wedding. Everyone
was hugging and laughing and talking about the baby who was soon to announce
himself to the world. The bride's family loved the groom and the groom's family
loved the bride and they all were in love with the unborn baby. The living room
of the bride's family home was set up like a small chapel, with flowers on
pillars at the front and ten chairs for the ten family members who were there.
Music played softly in the background on the CD player.
When I checked in with the bride on arrival, I found her near tears because she
thought she was ugly and didn't want everyone to see how "big" she was. The
truth was that she was radiantly beautiful with a glow that only a bride and a
pregnant woman have. As I was trying to console her, the groom came in, looked
at her with a most adoring look and told her he had never seen her more
beautiful and that he was so proud to walk in with her. She sighed, smiled ,
gave him a kiss and the three of us went in together. The love in that room was
palpable. The father of the bride cried all through the ceremony because he was
so overcome with the beauty of it all.
When the ceremony was over, everyone had champagne (except the pregnant bride)
and I couldn't tell one family from the other - they all seemed to delight in
being here with each other and with the bride and groom. My estimate is that the
total expense of this wedding had to be less than $500 and that included my fee.
I left that wedding feeling wonderful. I had been a part of a glorious
celebration of love.
In my mind, there is no question of which wedding was the most beautiful but you
can form your own opinion. Money may make the wedding memorable but love makes
it meaningful and unforgettable.
About the Author:
Irene Conlan is an ordained, non-denominational minister in Scottsdaale, AZ and
the Phoenix metropolitan area. She delights in designing unique, custom weddings
that are personal and spectacular for each couple.
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