Weddings

Among the many social traditions followed since time immemorial, the wedding is arguably the most prominent and unique one. The mere mention of the word \"wedding\" forces us to think of grandeur, excitement, new challenges and people, a special relationship and so on.

The term wedding is used to refer to the ceremony celebrated to mark the beginning of a marriage. It is either religious or civil. Whichever country it may be, the simple meaning of a wedding is that it marks the beginning of a new stage in life. Weddings require both the bride and the groom to meet new people and learn to live with them.

A wedding is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the world. For example, in the Western countries, the tradition of the bride wearing a white gown is common. Also, other customs like the wedding cake, wedding reception, etc. can be found in most Western weddings.

A wedding may be celebrated in an extravagant and pompous manner. Or, it can be a simple and brief ceremony. In some cases, the wedding reception is celebrated in a grander manner than the wedding itself. In the reception, the bride throws a bouquet to the crowd and the woman who catches it is supposed to be the next one to ring the bell.

On the lighter side, there are some funny aspects to weddings. To quote, \"Before marriage, a man yearns for a woman. After marriage, the \'y\' is silent.\"

Through the ages, the original meaning of the term \"wedding\" has undergone changes to such an extent that the ceremonies and other rituals associated with it have lost their real significance.

Some say that a wedding is destiny. If we ponder upon this, the original meaning of a wedding can be understood. Destiny is something that cannot be predicted or avoided. The same holds true for weddings, too. It brings together, or in other words, creates a bond between a man and a woman, who once married, will become life-partners. A wedding kicks off this special relationship and the real challenge of a successful wedding is the transformation of two people into most compatible life-partners.