The Pomp, Pageantry, and Preparation?

 

TIME Magazine Cover
 
 
 
It is that time of the year again – the weather gets warmer, the flowers start to bloom, and the winter clothes are put away. This is when you know the spring season has officially arrived in Michigan (people in Michigan have been conditioned not to think it is spring until May).

Another thing that indicates the change of the seasons is when there are a lot of weddings. As our church has been growing beyond the college ministry, we are seeing more people getting married in our church.

But this year, one wedding in particular that has captured so much international attention was the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, who are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I was able to catch a little bit of it online and all I can say is, “WOW!” All the pageantry and pomp were pretty breathtaking to an average person watching the highlights and pictures online. Even watching all the people, who lined the streets of London to get a glimpse of the couple, was an incredible sight.

According to WePay blog it is estimated that the Royal Wedding cost around $86 million and that doesn’t even take into consideration the reception, which by the way was estimated at around $600,000. To put this in perspective, the average wedding in the United States cost around $30,000 for a small-to-medium sized wedding.

For months people were focused on the wedding details of William and Kate. Questions swirled around: Who will design the wedding dress? What type of food will be served at the reception? Who will be on the star-studded guest list?

I just found this whole wedding process so interesting.

This is not only for the recent Royal Wedding, but also for couples who spend so much time in preparation for just one day. Disclaimer: Now, I know that this is a special day for the bride; therefore I am in no way trying to be a hater. Since I have a daughter (my sweet pea), I would only want the best for her, but I am just trying to challenge some preconceived notions that many people have “just” accepted as the norm.

Now, with that said and out of the way, let me just ask, “When it comes to weddings, are we focusing on the right things?

There are many couples who spend so much of their energies, time and efforts in trying to prepare for a wedding, which last for just one day, but fail miserably to prepare for a marriage, which last for a lifetime. Also, many couples are spending close to $30,000 and more for a wedding. If there is a larger guest list, then the couple can spend up to $45,000 to $50,000. In order to put this in perspective, if a person spends $40,000 on a wedding, then they would be able to buy a nice luxurious car (or 2 decent cars) or they can put a 20% down payment on $200,000 house.

Once again, is all the investment in our time and treasures worth it for that one day, when more focus should be placed on the preparation for the lifelong marriage? Things such as, communication, conflict resolution, childhood scripts, commitment and character should all be addressed by taking the time and expending our energies to work through these things.

It is sad that in National Review Online, right after the announcement of their engagement, it reported that British bookies were taking bets to see when William and Kate will get a divorce. In our society, divorce has become so common that there are people who are betting on the demise of their marriage.

Therefore, for those of you who are getting married this summer or for those of you who want to get married in the future, remember that all the pomp and pageantry will fade away in our memories, but the person that you will have to live with after saying the vows, that will be for a lifetime.

Let’s make it “until death do us part.”
Let’s focus on the right things.
It’s God’s best for us.
It’s God’s way.
His Glory.

Spiritual ENTREPRENEUR, Church EQUIPPER, Leadership EDUCATOR, Ideas EXPERIMENTER & Global EXPLORER who is trying to transform lives and transform the world.
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