Figuring out the marriage question
By Staff
Kim West
After attending my younger sister Christina's wedding rehearsal at our hometown church in Athens, I've decided wedding rehearsals are the most un-romantic part of the wedding process.
Hopefully the engagement is unique and heartfelt enough that it will make a good story to tell your friends and family, while the wedding ceremony should be worth of the home video hall of fame. But rehearsals, while essential to a smooth ceremony, are stressful and aren't really something you would want to remember.
I was in my other sisters' weddings but I was a flower girl when my oldest sister Paula had a fancy wedding at my parent's hometown church in Birmingham, and I was a bridesmaid when my older sister Glenna married in a Methodist church with both a Methodist pastor and Catholic priest officiating. Suffice to say, it ran a little longer than the typical ceremony.
This time around I was promoted to maid of honor, even though I didn't do much to warrant that title except clean up after the bridal shower and wedding reception and do my best to not bring out Bridezilla, as my sister called herself in the initial stages of the wedding planning.
I don't remember anyone coming up to me and asking me when I was going to get married at either one of my older sisters' weddings, but then again I was a toddler when Paula married and only a junior in high school when Glenna walked down the aisle. I was pleasantly surprised I made it to the reception before anyone brought up the "M" word – marriage. My papaw and my mom's best friend both broached the subject while I was attempting to enjoy my marinated meatballs and fruit punch.
It didn't really bother me because they were asking in good humor, although my mom brought up the subject this week and even offered to pay for my boyfriend and I to attend a weekend engagement retreat even though we aren't about as close to getting engaged as Auburn is to figuring out offensive woes this season – it could happen but probably not this year.
I think there's a saying that three times a bridesmaid, never a bride, and that it takes being a bridesmaid seven times to break the curse. I guess it's a good thing I don't believe in superstitions, and I'm relieved I don't have four more sisters.
