Whats a Goldfish Doing at a Wedding?
Time was when you'd open a wedding invitation you'd find an understated high quality piece of parchment, with an uncompromisingly clear font, requesting, ever so formally, the honour of your presence.
Then came radical changes, described by those in the know as, giving the wedding back to the people. The creation of the ubiquitous Civil Marriage Celebrant – and anything goes era.
Stealthily at first came sneaking on to the front page of the invitation miniscule wedding bells, intertwining wedding rings and peaceful doves with their wings folded as if wondering what the heck they were doing there.
Traditionalists – and those too poor to follow the trend – cried out against this bad taste. Nor were they wrong to fear the full thrust of indulgence to come. Invitations, masquerading as old time scrolls, and delivered by Knights right from King Arthur's court, began to appear at suburban doors. Following the Knights came Wizards from Ali Baba's enchanted cave.
There is no saying where all this would end, when the PC was born and stemmed the tide.
Overnight, so it seems, the excesses transformed themselves into cottage industry, and the traditionalists who had howled at the excess engendered by the coming of the Civil Marriage Celebrant could only stare in horror at the shambles created by the advent of the PC and its companion, the Bubble Jet printer.
Out the window went the parchment and the honour of your presence. Taking it's place was a piece of brown recycled paper, with some unrecognizable font, proclaiming cheerily, "Jim and I are getting married, come and have some fun with us next Sunday."
"Fun?" my husband of 40 odd years snorted. "They're getting married to have fun?" Being something of an etymologist (fancier of words for the rest of us) he began to thumb the well-worn dictionary to find out what fun meant and when he'd had it last. But that's another story.
Getting back to the invitations, and the appearance of computers, the wedding bells and the hearts and rings and flowers were given a swift shrift. Instead we puzzled at wedding invitations covered with cats, dogs, butterflies and yes, the latest one, two gold fish.
There they were on the envelope, swimming demurely side by side on the sea of white, while the invitation itself was awash with them. It took an hour, plus a strong magnifying glass before I could decipher the words.
Bring no gifts, was the first bit of welcome information I fished out of the jumble. We have everything we need. We have each other. Oh, the naiveté of infatuation! "But if you would like to bring a gift," continued the missive, "please bring something for our goldfish."
About the Author
Vlady is one of Australia's longest serving Civil Marriage Celebrants. She is the author of 'The Complete Book of Australian Weddings' and 'The Small Organisation Handbook'.
Visit her at http://www.vlady-celebrant.com
Related Articles:
A Bahamas Honeymoon Vacation On San Salvador
A Bahamas Honeymoon Vacation at Club Med Columbus Isle might seem like an unusual spot, as Club Med isn?t everyone?s idea of a honeymoon vacation destination This 80 acre oceanfront village is one of Club Med?s most luxurious resorts with all the rooms having handcrafted furniture and patios or balconies
Layne Corban Scheduled to Show its Bridal Collection IV at the Washington Wedding Show
Layne Corban announced plans to show its newest collection at the Washington Wedding Show.
Find a Dream Wedding Location In the Out Islands of the Bahamas
From secluded beaches to romantic sunsets, couples getting married in the Bahamas can choose from the top destination wedding resorts.
Ideas For Choosing Great Bridal Party Gifts
Although there are many things to spend money on when you are planning your wedding, the gifts you give to your bridal party should be at the top of your list
Although you and your wedding planner have probably spent the most time of anyone getting things ready in order to make your wedding a success, your wedding party still commits a lot and spends a lot of money leading up to that special day
Brides Have Their Cake and Couture, Too: SoNo Wedding Design Studio Launches Bridal Dress Collection
On January 21, 2008, Traci Romano Events, an event planning and design studio, will begin offering brides a highly edited collection of couture and timeless wedding dresses at its SoNo salon, including designs by Amy Kuschel, Simone Carvalli, Liancarlo, Thread and Lynn Lugo.
A Case Study on Photo Wedding Invitation
It is very common for couples to choose to create a photo wedding invitation nowadays Of course this is because the price of full color printing is a lot lower than that in the past
Melbourne's Leading Couture Bridal Designers Hit The Catwalk
The Melbourne Bride Expo will be held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on Saturday 21 June and Sunday 22 June 2008. Brides will be inspired by the latest bridal trends from big name designers.
A Costa Rica Honeymoon At The Gaia Hotel & Reserve
A Costa Rica Honeymoon could be exactly what you are looking for, and you need look no further than the Gaia Hotel & Reserve an exclusive Adults only Boutique Hotel which nestles high on a hill above the Pacific Ocean in the Manuel Antonio National Park.
Your Wedding Budget: How Do You Plan For It?
When you decide to get marry, you will need to start planning for your wedding Of course there are a lot of details you have to take care of
Top Wedding Fitness Questions (and their answers)
As a Personal Trainer for brides-to-be, I often get asked the same wedding fitness questions over and over again. Brides (and grooms) usually are looking for simple and easy ways to get in better shape for their special day.