Attending wedding

I recently attended a wedding dinner of a close friend. As usually for chinese wedding banquet, the guests some start to trickle in after 8p.m. This was oblivious of the fact that it was clearly stated in plain simple english that the dinner will commence at 7.30p.m sharp. Sometimes I just don’t comprehend this phenomenal of such flexible time keeping. The dinner cannot start till the majority of the guests have arrived. It would be weird for the newly weds to walk down an aisle flanked by rows of empty table. Alas, I just the host has little choice other than wait anxiously for the guest to arrive.

It was only at around 8.45p.m that the dinner finally started. This is about one and three-quarters hours behind schedule. The dinner have to end by 11.oo p.m, so to meet the deadline, the 9 course dinner was served at a breakneck pace. This was certainly not my idea of culinary enjoyment. The first 4 course were served in a flurry, then a short hiatus for the couple's 2nd march in. A video clip of events that took place in the morning and the groom gave a thank-you speech. After this there was only slightly more than an hour left before 11oo p.m. Then it was back to another barrage of dishes. This time round, with more vengeance. The next dish was served even before the pervious one was finished. Con-currently, the bride and groom went on a whirlwind photograph shoot with guests from each table.

Well the scene I've just describe is exactly what I would like to term as a textbook wedding dinner. Waiting way past the stated timing for guests to arrive, viewing of the video/photo montage, the Yam Seng toast, etc etc.. In the past 12 months, I've been to 4 weddings and they all are very similar. I ask myself whether if weddings that I would attend in the future will also be similar. By the time I finished typing the whole sentence, I already have the answer.

Well I guess I should not speak too soon. Because in another 9 months time, the guy in the suit walking down the aisle will be me, and the lovely lady in the beautiful gown beside me, my wife. Will my wedding dinner be as predictable and stereotypical as above described. Sad to say, yes, it will be. Both of us want to make our wedding as unique and memorable as possible. Tighten down by a shoestring budget, sometimes we just have to compromise. Customisation to make the wedding unique is simply just out of the reach. We just make have to make do and spend within the budget constraints. I've have learn to appreciate the fact that wedding planning is not simple after all. For those pervious weddings that I've been to, I should complement the efforts put into co-ordination and organising such a large scale event. I should reserve my criticism and replace them with compliments.

How about myself, will my wedding just add to the statistics or will it earn in place in memory lane? Well.. only time will tell. In 9 months time, we shall know the answer, till then...

SB