When I was around 7 years old, I remember coming downstairs in the middle of the night to find my mother watching the wedding of Charles and Diana. I didn't understand why she cared or why she was willing to sacrifice sleep to watch a wedding for a couple she had never even met. I did wonder why the bride was wearing a dress that looked like it was trying to swallow her.
That sucker was huge.
So thirty years later, I still can't fathom all the fuss over these royal weddings. Friends of mine set their alarms, poured champagne, and watched with fascinated devotion. They knew what the invitations looked like. They had studied the guest list. They knew the history of the horsedrawn carriage in which the bride would ride.
I caught the highlights on CNN.
I must say, as a girl not that steeped in fairytale lore, even I could recognize the Cinderella-like spectacle. Kate was beautiful - the loyal bride toiling away for 8 long years waiting for her prince to step to the plate. The two evil step-sisters (okay, they were really William's cousins) with their horribly ugly hats and outfits. What was with those hats? Don't they know the number one rule of a wedding ettiquette: never detract attention from the bride. Those hats looked like grotesque parasitic twins. Stacy and Clinton would be mortified.
My husband, who likes weddings not for the inherent romance but rather for the grand party after, watched about 10 seconds of the coverage before rolling his eyes and putting on ESPN.
This is why we are married. We are just not romantic wedding people. Perhaps I was once. As I planned our wedding years back, I got furious with my husband over his lack of interest in the preparation - believing that he didn't value our relationship. He gently reminded me that it was the marriage that counted, not the wedding.
And so I am more excited to watch Kate and William have children and develop a long life together as husband and wife. My dormant romance gene always comes alive when I see the old couple walking down the street holding hands or finding my husband had charged my phone for me. Romance is sometimes defined not by the grand spectacle, but the day-to-day.
Although if anyone sees my husband, please let him know that flowers wouldn't kill him.
I think the fact that there is such a thing as a royal wedding is ridiculous.I was disturbed that people I knew were waking up to watch the wedding and wondered what their lives must be like if they had time to worry about that. That said, I was very surprised when I kinda got sucked in when it was replayed last night. I guess I just figured they would be wearing hideous clothes (like Diana did) and that people would talk about how beautiful they were anyway. I was surprised at how much I loved Kate's and her sister's dresses as well as their not-to-overdone hair and make up. They were classic and pretty. I can't believe I am even saying this, but I hope those dresses affect fashion today. I am sick of seeing people with 12 pounds of make up weighing down their face and skin everywhere (even in cases where it should be carefully tucked away). I am embarrassed to say that I actually enjoyed watching how great they looked.
ReplyDeleteFYI: Clinton said that he wanted to throw balls through the hoops of one of those "hats".
By the way, this is Mary. I don't remember my password.
I only get up at 4 am to change wet sheets. That's where romance will get you.
ReplyDeleteThe Atheist
I just peed myself a little from laughing. Nobody here to change me, though.
ReplyDeleteThe Blogger