An ode to weddings (from someone who actually likes them)

I’m of an age where weddings are fewer and farther between in my life. It doesn’t seem so long ago that my summer weekends were stacked with wedding events of all kinds — frothy showers, boozy stagettes, frustration-filled registry shopping outings and of course, the grand tulle-and-taffeta-filled event itself. While it may have seemed overwhelming at the time to jam all those events into my precious summer weekends, they were (for the most part) joyful events.

So when a wedding popped into my social calendar this year I just about jumped with excitement. These marital unions are one of those happy moments in life that you talk about for years. And while the talk may range from oohing and aahing over the bride's dress, to the stories of who met and left with  whom, the stories are remembered and retold often.

My preference is for more intimate weddings, like my sister and brother-in-law’s this past weekend — the ones where the guest numbers are smaller, you know most of those attending and where you truly celebrate the union. And it’s those special moments that bring you tears of joy and giggly smiles over the ceremony taking place.

Think the first glimpse of the bride or, as Buzzfeed recently documented, that first look on a groom’s face when he sees his bride. The first enthusiastic kiss as a unified couple. The speech where you inevitably hear an anecdote that not only enlightens you about the couple, but possibly leaves you a little speechless yourself. And for me, now that I’m coming to weddings with my two children in tow, I get to feel the joy of seeing my son as ring bearer and daughter as junior bride that prompted my tears and smile.

Those are the obvious moments of happiness at a wedding. But it’s the less obvious moments that I relish as well. The buzz the night before of prep that seems to be constantly going on while a sometimes-frenzied bridal couple runs around, giddy but busy, in their prep. Or the dressing up — and seeing all your friends and family, many of whom you’ve seem in various states and styles of dress — come to the event with their Sunday best. Or connecting socially — be it the catching up with a family member that you only get to see once, maybe twice a year, or finding someone new to chat with and whose company to enjoy.

In the end — like many of life’s milestones, from heading off to university to having young children — weddings are one of those happy life markers that I realize now looking back, should be savoured, appreciated, enjoyed and remembered.

What do you love most about weddings? Tell us in the comment section below.