Real World Mom

In the spirit of the day, three Ohio couples tied the knot yesterday–at White Castle (yes, the fast-food burger place)!

The flower girl sprinkled salt and pepper packets.  The grooms wore employee name tags in lieu of flowers on their lapels.  The wedding cake was designed to look like a tray with burgers, fries and a drink.

So, this wouldn’t exactly be my first choice of a setting for a wedding, but I gotta give them credit for uniqueness!

“Ohio Couples Have White (Castle) Wedding”

mar·riage

Pronunciation:

\ˈmer-ij, ˈma-rij\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English mariage, from Anglo-French, from marier to marry

Date:

14th century

1 a (1): the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage> b: the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock c: the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage2: an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected; especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities3: an intimate or close union <the marriage of painting and poetry — J. T. Shawcross> (Quoted from Merriam Webster Online)

Can’t put my finger on the exact reason, but, lately, this topic has been running around in my head. Perhaps because of my failed marriage, I feel the need to reevaluate my own personal beliefs. What does marriage mean to me?

Trying to look at this from a more practical (rather than romantic) perspective, I still see marriage as the ultimate commitment two people can make to each other. What other way could even come close to showing each other–and the world–that you are truly together? It’s the consummate declaration that you are a couple; you are committed to each other; that you believe in the other person and in the value of your relationship; that you want to spend the rest of your lives together.

Admittedly, you can make a serious commitment to someone without the legalities of actually getting married. However, I think that’s where the traditions and ceremonial rituals begin to influence me.

Is it my own belief that the public exchange of vows in some type of official ceremony makes a couple’s commitment more valid or more meaningful? Or is this a concept that society has impressed upon me? Perhaps it’s a little of both. And, how does it pertain to me in my own life, in my own relationships? How much importance do I place on this belief? Does any of this really even matter?!