Well, I am four hours into this Saturday morning, I haven’t actually physically spoken to anyone alive in person, or on the phone yet and I’ve already run through a whole gamut of emotions and I am not an anxious soon-to-be bride.
The news that weddings are once again a strict ‘no-no’ will affect so many beautiful, and excited couples who were planning to celebrate their love in the coming weeks in a marriage celebration with an already adjusted guest list; now they have to face disappointment again as the plug is pulled on weddings with more than six guests. Frustration, anger, anxiety…and those are just the feelings that I have for the couple planning on getting married. If I include in the mix my inability to work at the celebrant job that I love then we can add disappointment, dismay, adjustment, worry, guilt, joy…
Wait a minute! Joy? How did that one get in there?
It sneaked in, or perhaps it seeped out because, in amongst all of that negative stuff linked to Covid-hacked wedding plans, there’s an inner gratitude and a sense of peace that washed over all of it. Yes, the situation with the wedding industry is indeed crazy, especially when it makes no sense and I can see from my own window that the local hostelry can easily cater for thirty customers; they’re just not allowed to call them thirty guests! And two of the guests/ customers aren’t allowed to dress up and carry flowers, or exchange vows, but they can carry wine glasses and exchange talk and make promises and show compassion – it seems like it all boils down to the words we employ!
What’s in a word? Especially when it comes to wedding celebrations…
Well, if that word is love, then the whole world is in it…or could be.
If you’re aware of any of the content of my book – The Will To Surthrive – then you will know how much I adore the greatest wordsmith of all time. When he writes of how Juliet is not allowed to fall in love with Romeo and they are not allowed to marry because he is a Montague, he writes, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” If Juliet was taking on any other married surname it would be fine. She says that the word is meaningless. If the rose was called an orse or an esor, it would still be the same. And so Romeo would still be the same beautiful young potential groom and Juliet a blushing bride, even if he had a different name. Juliet knows it was only his name preventing the marriage.
A rose, even if it were called something else, would smell just as sweet. So Romeo would still have all the perfection which attracted the betrothed couple in the first place.
And that’s where and why the joy seeped out. Despite the ridiculous fluctuations in government edict and policy on weddings and celebrations, we are still able to love with all of our hearts. Those with whom we were going to celebrate still care for us deeply, and want the very best, and even if it means we have to wait a while for the nuptials, and cope with set-back, we are still surrounded by love and support networks and those who have the utmost compassion for the current plight.
Hang on in there people; your magnificent wedding celebration may be on hold but remember you are love! And when your ceremony does happen, it will be all the sweeter for your patience as a bride-and-groom, or bride-and-bride or groom-and-groom in waiting…
Latansani 