What is it about Weddings? The public can’t get enough of them, if you believe the cable TV programmers. There are more Wedding blogs than enchiladas in Texas, and when the Royal wedding hit, the Industry, as a whole got all hot and bothered. The public is fascinated by celebrity weddings, crazy Bridezilla weddings, Flash mob weddings, DIY weddings, and has turned some wedding professionals into media stars.
This generation knows more about Weddings than any generation prior. Where Grooms used to just show up, drink and dance, they are now involved in all aspects of their Wedding planning. I’m personally addicted to a couple of great Groom-centric blogs, and find that the men in the wedding industry are invested in weddings without the least embarrassment.
So, what’s up with THAT?
I have a couple of ideas. They’re just my opinion. I would love to hear what you think.
We are a generation touched by divorce. We have either lived it ourselves or been affected by it within our families. Yet, the desire to marry, raise a family and live happily ever after is stronger than ever. I, myself, was divorced after an eighteen-year marriage failed. Yet, ten years later remarried with the complete confidence that it was right, destined and perfect.
Marriage survived the 60′s “Marriage is dead†phase. It survived the Free Love stage, and survived the “Me First†80′s. It survived the nihilistic 90′s, and will soon survive the selfish way we deny it to our brothers and sisters in love because of who they love.
Regardless of what trend has been tossed at us, the desire to bond together in marriage has survived. It has most importantly survived the failure of its participants.
Speaking of trendy, Weddings are damn trendy. Pick up a tabloid and you will read more about weddings than you will most other topics. Whatever happened to rehab? The good old days, how I (don’t) miss them. I’ll take love and commitment over the latest overdose, thank you.
One last thought, Brides. Those of us in the Wedding Industry sometimes get caught up in the sizzle and forget what weddings are really all about. Ok, we don’t really forget, we just get wrapped up in the details. It’s your excitement about the big day that reminds us why we do what we do.
Marriage is about Love. That’s why it’s still so popular and has survived everything thrown at it. It’s always been about love, always will be about love, and it’s gently nurtured and fed by faith and commitment. Faith in each other, and commitment to something much more precious than ourselves.
Very interesting insight to this topic. I think you touched on something good here. Most of this society has had a run in with divorce…coming from divorce, knowing divorcees and even experiencing divorce. I think we value marriage more because we see that selecting the right one is so important. Great write up!
What an interesting perspective. Seems as if each generation boomerangs back and forth for some reason or another. Hopefully we’ll see this trend high on weddings evolve back into the long ago days of Silver, Gold and Platinum anniversary celebrations! The last one I saw was my grandparents 50th…and that was over 20 years ago!
Chelle,
Thanks for your comment! I actually hadn’t thought about Anniversaries. Now that you mention it, I don’t remember hearing about any anniversary celebrations in quite some time. Vow renewals still seem popular though. I would love to see them again, from an event industry perspective. In other words, selfishly.
I think Weddings, as an event, are in the perfect storm of a more traditional outlook on relationships and being very trendy. I also think that marriage has survived being seen as a tool of a religious or political perspective.
Bravo! Well written. Two statements you made stayed with me “Regardless of what trend has been tossed at us, the desire to bond together in marriage has survived. It has most importantly survived the failure of its participants.”
and
“Marriage is about Love. That\’s why it\’s still so popular and has survived everything thrown at it. It\’s always been about love, always will be about love, and it\’s gently nurtured and fed by faith and commitment. Faith in each other, and commitment to something much more precious than ourselves.”
I think we all at one time of the other lose sight of the true meaning of the word marriage and confuse it with wedding and they are not one in the same. The wedding, as you mentioned, is the event and is trendy. The actual marriage {the bond, the love, the intimacy} is what I think should be rooted in old fashioned ways, even after all the pomp and circumstance is gone. That is what I never want to see die the need to bond to another. I often wonder if people, not just “celebrities” get caught up in the euphoric state of mind of “all eyes on us”…instead of really understanding the true meaning of a marriage.
weddings are trendy and OMG have you noticed how pregnancy is suddenly super trendy also? I like your post very much, and you are truly right it is all about LOVE let´s not forget that!
Because we are romantic by nature! That’s why no matter badly the divorce may have affected us, we still believe in romance and love.
And yes, the royal wedding made every wedding this year an exciting one! 
Jason and I had the most beautiful, perfect wedding I could have ever asked for! I always imaged a more traditional wedding in our home town in Bois deBoul. Kim
I love Mr. and Mrs. Frostings.
I think women will always want to get married despite statistics of divorce. It’s about love and romance.