We all know that weddings are big business. What they also are is a fascinating place to learn about other people.
In the last couple of decades, wedding planning has begun taking an a la carte approach. The couple notices what they’ve experienced at other weddings, they incorporate some parts and leave others out. Many elements of an American wedding that would have been standard forty years ago (church or temple, cake, white dress, wedding party, garter, bouquet) are now negotiable.
This means that as we experience a wedding, we learn about the couple. Everything from the venue to the officiant to the clothing to the music to the vows to the food tells us who they are and want to be. The intentional planning of this major life event is incredibly personal.
It makes sense that we are intentional about our weddings. They are a big deal. We want each detail to be something we love, something that reverberates in our memory forever.
What would it look like to bring that level of intention to our everyday conversations? What would it mean to slow down, to think specifically about the choices that we are making and how they will affect those around us? Each utterance doesn’t have to be planned like wedding vows, but to think, “How is what I’m about to say going to land on this person? What do I really mean?” is a powerful practice.
