As a Christian I deeply respect the institution of marriage, but I absolutely despise all of the useless superstitions and cultural baggage it has become freighted with. It is the lifelong union of two persons, before God and a few witnesses. Yet many have turned a simple, joyous one-day ceremony into a gruelling year-long campaign with hundreds of man-hours of planning, a long schedule of ludicrous precursors (showers, stags, rehearsals, and so on), meticulous attention to protocol, and tens of thousands of dollars. Most ridiculous of all, even the non-religious — who may never darken a church door except for nuptials and their own funeral — usually feel it necessary to get married in a house of worship. Why? Who cares what your folks or old Aunt Bertha expects, they aren’t the ones getting married. It’s your call. Be honest with yourself, if you can’t be bothered to show up at church most Sundays, what is the point of getting married there? Just go see a justice of the peace. It’s no worse and nobody with any brains will say you’re not really married. God would probably appreciate the honesty rather than the halfhearted observance of convention.
Chris Taylor, “Long Day’s Journey into Matrimony”, Taylor & Company, 2005-09-01.
