Weddings

Weddings are not a ritual of the past...they are still a major event in our lives even though the process may be a little different from 50 years ago.

We have 3 weddings in the family this year and all of the couples chose to live together for a while before having the ceremony.  I honestly think this is a wise thing to do because you can't really know a person until you've lived with them.  Two couples chose to buy a house before the ceremony and that I'm not as sure about.  In the case of the couples who did, their commitment to each other was strong enough to make it work but what if the arrangement didn't work out?  What if they broke up and still owned a house together?

In any case, these 3 couples are not starry eyed teenagers.  They are full grown adults all well set on their careers.  I'm sure they have their own reasons for getting married versus continuing to just live together and it might have something to do with family values.  Marrying is a full fledged commitment to join together on your travel through life.  Living together and getting to know their partners well aided in them knowing who they want to travel with.

Yes, the ritual of legal marriage is still with us but I think today's brides and grooms are now more mature and ready for a lifetime commitment.