As many of you may have already heard, Sherri and I eloped this past July 6th. We had an amazing time in the Smoky Mountains, complete with a small wedding chapel in the mountains, a secluded honeymoon cabin to ourselves, and just the natural beauty of the area. We watched breath-taking sunsets, skipped rocks in a mountain stream, watched a mother bear and her cubs playing in a field, and generally had a wonderful time.
It’s only fair that I express what we didn’t do by the fact that we eloped rather than having a normal wedding. We didn’t spend hours of anxiety worrying about if all the details of the wedding would be covered, we spent 3 hours. We didn’t spend tons of money on a reception hall and worry about what to feed everyone, we had a steak dinner for two. We didn’t spend months trying to figure out what the perfect dress and tux we should use, we spent an hour and rented the perfect ones. We didn’t spend a month of worrying about who should be invited, where they should sit, that person doesn’t get along with that person, we had just ourselves. I could go on, but you get the point.
I wonder who came up with all of the wedding traditions that are involved with a full blown wedding. Seems like you have to buy everyone an expensive gift, you spend a fortune on a cake. It’s a cake, nothing more than a cake. Then there’s dinners, flowers, clothes, and blah blah blah. Uggh! It’s disgusting. Fun to attend, not to plan.
Weddings in the 1800’s, which I assume most of the traditions were perpetuated from, didn’t cost thirty grand. People then, didn’t take out huge loans to get married. The fact is, getting married has become a huge business with huge market potential. There are wedding that happen every day, that bring together middle class families that rival the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Di. Why? Suckers, that’s why. Victims of marketing and salesmanship, all propelled by telling you it’s tradition. It’s self-made tradition for the good of the industry if you ask me.
There is a good side to this I suppose. The simple fact that because of all of this, places like Vegas and Gatlinburg exist, you can ever whatever kind of wedding you want in a day. It’s big business there. The rental shop had over a thousand dresses for her to use for less than a day. It worked beautifully. The fact of the matter is, we didn’t spend a ton of money and we shared one of the most beautiful, memorable experiences that I will always remember. When I saw her come down the aisle, I felt like I’d just seen her for the first time. She was exquisite and beautiful and heavenly. We held hands and exchanged vows and looked into each others eyes, I wished the moment could have lasted forever. She smiled, and laughed, and a tear ran down her cheek, as I fought back choking up myself. It was extremely intimate and beautiful experience. We didn’t feel any pressure from being the center of attention, it was just me and her and the eyes of God, and of course the preacher and some lady handing out Kleenexes. So if you are planning a big wedding, my suggestion is one of common sense, elope! Enjoy what the wedding is truly about, the union of man and woman before God. Anything added to that are side items that will cost ya’.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Donahoe
It’s only fair that I express what we didn’t do by the fact that we eloped rather than having a normal wedding. We didn’t spend hours of anxiety worrying about if all the details of the wedding would be covered, we spent 3 hours. We didn’t spend tons of money on a reception hall and worry about what to feed everyone, we had a steak dinner for two. We didn’t spend months trying to figure out what the perfect dress and tux we should use, we spent an hour and rented the perfect ones. We didn’t spend a month of worrying about who should be invited, where they should sit, that person doesn’t get along with that person, we had just ourselves. I could go on, but you get the point.
I wonder who came up with all of the wedding traditions that are involved with a full blown wedding. Seems like you have to buy everyone an expensive gift, you spend a fortune on a cake. It’s a cake, nothing more than a cake. Then there’s dinners, flowers, clothes, and blah blah blah. Uggh! It’s disgusting. Fun to attend, not to plan.
Weddings in the 1800’s, which I assume most of the traditions were perpetuated from, didn’t cost thirty grand. People then, didn’t take out huge loans to get married. The fact is, getting married has become a huge business with huge market potential. There are wedding that happen every day, that bring together middle class families that rival the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Di. Why? Suckers, that’s why. Victims of marketing and salesmanship, all propelled by telling you it’s tradition. It’s self-made tradition for the good of the industry if you ask me.
There is a good side to this I suppose. The simple fact that because of all of this, places like Vegas and Gatlinburg exist, you can ever whatever kind of wedding you want in a day. It’s big business there. The rental shop had over a thousand dresses for her to use for less than a day. It worked beautifully. The fact of the matter is, we didn’t spend a ton of money and we shared one of the most beautiful, memorable experiences that I will always remember. When I saw her come down the aisle, I felt like I’d just seen her for the first time. She was exquisite and beautiful and heavenly. We held hands and exchanged vows and looked into each others eyes, I wished the moment could have lasted forever. She smiled, and laughed, and a tear ran down her cheek, as I fought back choking up myself. It was extremely intimate and beautiful experience. We didn’t feel any pressure from being the center of attention, it was just me and her and the eyes of God, and of course the preacher and some lady handing out Kleenexes. So if you are planning a big wedding, my suggestion is one of common sense, elope! Enjoy what the wedding is truly about, the union of man and woman before God. Anything added to that are side items that will cost ya’.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Donahoe
