I recently attended a wedding ceremony in my small town this past weekend and it left me in awe. It’s got be one of the best wedding ceremonies I’ve attended hands down. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia on how wonderful wedding ceremonies are and how we have lost the value of attending what is the essence of the wedding and opted to enjoy free drinks and food at a reception.
People were not wearing the latest fashion trends or had the most expensive and elaborate hairdos and the couple did not leave in a black limo but they all had one thing in common – they were SO HAPPY! (Not that I am saying having a limo at your wedding is a bad thing)
As the groom anxiously waited for his bride with nervousness and excitement and as the bride waited in the car patiently for her grand entrance, I observed with surprise how full the church was with guests anxiously waiting to witness the ceremony. It was a little shocking to me because in Lusaka where I am from, services are rarely filled to capacity-at least for the weddings that I have been privileged to attend.
The couple were not able to afford a wedding reception so the church ceremony was tailor made to accommodate certain activities usually seen at the reception. After the vows were exchanged, the couple cut the wedding cake and the family representatives gave speeches and thanked everyone for their contribution to making their special day possible.
It brought warmth to my heart when an elderly couple decided to sing for the newlyweds a special song talking about how marriage is wonderful and that it is not ‘Shipikisha’ Club (a marriage where you just have to endure). They talked about how it is great being married to your best friend and that 1+1 in marriage equals 1. We all left the wedding refreshed and I more so, with renewed hope as a married person. I just wanted to give my husband a big kiss and reaffirm that being married to him was the best decision I ever made in my life because of what I just witnessed at the wedding ceremony.
I couldn’t help but think of how we can be so consumed with the details of the wedding that we forget that there is a marriage that is taken place- a union of two souls, a lifetime of friendship that is about to begin.
In the end it’s not about the lavish accessories and intricate details of how the weddings looked but about the celebration of witnessing two individuals make a life commitment to one another -the true essence of marriage.
iaraf's musings 