Love and Marriage

Over the weekend I was witness to some exciting news. One of closest friends and his long term girlfriend had announced their engagement. Although initially I was sceptical when they told me (there’d been multiple Boy Who Cried Wolf situations in the past) I was genuinely happy for them when I realised they were serious.

The celebrations with the couple and some other close friends of ours resulted in a drunken celebration that involved 100 cupcakes with a kaleidoscope of coloured icing, chocolate bits and those finicky shiny sugar balls (Don’t ask). Overall the spirit was high.

But as they recounted the stories of other people they had already told, the responses weren’t so joyous. One close friend of the bride-to-be questioned her intentions, asked if she had been forced into the marriage and ended say “Well I suppose, if you’re happy… then congratulations” with the gusto of a sloth. Other people responded in a similar manner and it’s known that the groom’s older sister will react psychotically when she is eventually told.

After I left my friend’s place, I started to wonder… since when did engagements provoke such negative responses? Why in the world was almost everyone questioning their intentions? Here is a couple, madly in love with each other, and yet the responses were varied.

In the end, I concluded that it was jealousy amongst the friends. These doubters were older than the engaged couple, still single or were protecting the older siblings of the couple, fearing that they might not cope well with the knowledge their younger siblings were getting married before them.

But the engagement was a natural step and the right choice. The groom-to-be has never been happier in the whole time I have known him and the bride-to-be is genuinely in love with him. So three cheers I say!

Their engagement, however, is yet another sign I have entered the stage of life where you realise you have grown up. This year alone, I will have four weddings plus an engagement. I have already had three weddings of my own (non-family) to attend and it seems they are going to increase.

It’s scary to realise that you have already hit that age, where you have your own weddings to attend and that your friends that you have known for years are happily investing into a marriage, a mortgage and eventually children. As Sinatra sang, "Love and Marriage. Go together like a horse and carriage..."