Wedding Guest Blues

In my room is a stack of wedding invitations. Some frilly, some simple, others out of this world.

I must admit that I seldom ever attend weddings.

Why?




Because here where I am, it's more of the relatives' affair rather than that of the bride and groom...



Because the relatives (well, some, if not most) are there only to get a share of the bride's dower (which is Islamically forbidden, of course) and to get a nice dinner or lunch...



Because sometimes the bride and groom just don't like each other (READ: Parental Arrangement...)



Because the whole affair looks like a circus (with celebrities,politicians,etc.etc.etc.)...complete with 1,000+ guests, a very long reading of the families' genealogies (oh come on, who REALLY listens?)...



Because they're infested with mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts. uncles looking for somebody to match up with someone they know...and oftentimes they don't know how to mix and match...yeah right, so they tried to match me up with a 15-year old kid (my dad laughed and said "We don't run a day care center in the house! I didn't raise my daughter to change her husband's diapers! Forget it!")...




Because you have to compete with the other guests' clothes, bling, hairdos, and what have they...


Because you'll hear some relatives talking ill of the bride or groom ("hey, it's their day, did you really go all the way here to spit out venom? you should be ashamed!")



Because you'll meet some nut you're not interested in who asks for your number...



But then it all depends on the kind of family you have!



A year or so ago I attended a friend's wedding (yeah BabyPink, you know whose!)and it was the sort anyone would love to have. Everyone knew each other, the venue was unexpectedly cozy, everyone had enough to eat, and no long speeches to bear with. If weddings were commonly like that, I would have attended each of them!