Thursday, October 9, 2014

Wedding Day: It's Complicated

By 10 o’clock, Cheryl was out of smiles. Her heavily made up face was struggling to keep up with the conversation and she was anxious to get away from people. Her wedding day, which was meant to bring joy and happiness, was filled with things to do, people to talk to and speeches to give to make sure things went smoothly. She constantly turned to her husband, Geron, with worried looks as family friends got even more drunk causing accidents that would cost more money on their already slimming pockets. Chunks of hair were starting to fall out from her heavily curled updo.

This begs the question of the original meaning and purpose of a wedding. It is meant to represent the unity of two people in love. No fancy clothes or elaborate ceremony to enhance it, just love. Nowadays, couples have gone astray from the real purpose of marriage to impress in laws and outdo friends. There is barely any time for the newlyweds to be together, never mind the 50 tables of people the have invited. The personal flair to wedding is now gone, now replaced with the feeling of mock enjoyment while trying to stick to tradition.

Not all weddings are like this as it is usually Chinese-based weddings. The fact that most couples choose not to serve sharks fin soup is great on the environmental front and a major development in Asian societies in recent years. A lot is put into these type of weddings and a lot goes to waste to studio pictures and wedding planners. Most haven’t moved past the fact that spending a lot of money on one day in life is going to help blossom the flowers of love.

There is a lot of pressure in Asian societies to get married at an earlier stage in life. However, getting into the wrong relationship is an increasing problem as divorce rates increase. Not only does it impact one’s emotional stability but it is usually frowned upon by relatives and friends.

At the wedding I attended a few weeks ago, I did feel a strong bond between Cheryl and Geron. Their ‘special’ day was filled with supposed family friends she had never even heard about before. Aside from that day which marks a fresh start that maybe wasn’t the best, they will experience events which will make them love each other more. The future promises happiness, love and adventure. I only hope they seize the every moment they can spend together and make the most of their limited time on earth.

By Jo Yie

3 comments:

  1. Jo Yie,
    I love how you express weddings. I agree with you that they shouldn't be luxurious. My favorite sentence was "It is meant to represent the unity of two people in love. No fancy clothes or elaborate ceremony to enhance it, just love." I makes me think about all the weddings I've attended, and how the were organized. I agree with you that choosing the wrong person will have negative effects and that the younger you are, the less possibilities in life you'll have. I think you transmitted an excellent idea and point of view throughout your publication about a whole new thinking framework for weddings.
    Best Wishes,
    Julia García-Pelayo, 8th grade
    ASFG, Mexico.

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  2. Jo Yie,
    I agree with you that when you get married it is because you are in love and that day should be the happiest day of your life. I have also noticed that people have stopped taking marriage seriously. Every day more and more people are getting divorce. Marriage is losing its meaning and instead of trying to fix the problem between them, they take the easy way out and get divorced. I also think that a reason of people getting divorce is that they are getting married way too young. They are not mature enough and don't think about it as something that is going to last forever because they know that divorce exists. Like you, I believe that marriage should last for the rest of your life.
    Best wishes,
    Ana Paula Ibarra, 8th gr.
    ASFG, Mexico

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  3. I really liked your post. I agree with the sentence that says that a wedding is about love and being happy, not to see how fancy the party is. I think that people that get married way to young won't last long because they know that they can always get divorce because they aren't mature enough to handle love. I think couples and love should last forever and not only a little. You did a great job explaining love and the weddings.
    Best wishes,
    Andrea Arriaga, 8th gr.
    ASFG, Mexico

    ReplyDelete