Thirteen years ago today, I married my best friend. Through the good times and the bad, we’ve stuck it through. It’s been worth it.
Almost every romance has the promise of happily ever after, usually with a glimpse of wedding bells, although the actual day isn’t always shown. I like to end my books with an engagement, or maybe a wedding. If I’ve got a series going, I’ll often include the wedding in a subsequent book. These ceremonies are often times of reflection for the marrieds who attend, and hope for the couples who are starting out on their journey.
Will he or she be “the one”?
Part of the romance of weddings is the traditions, large and small, that are carried over from centuries past. Of course they vary from culture to culture, which is why the emergence of multi-cultural romances is so exciting. We like to read about people we recognize so we can imagine ourselves in the experience. On the other hand, by reading how others celebrate one of the most important days in their lives, a familiar occasion in an unfamiliar setting, can bring understanding about how others have similar needs and desires as we do.
My husband and I were married in a small vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. My son “gave” me away, one of the more archaic traditions we cling to. Father’s gave away their daughters because women were considered property. (I wonder if my son got a good price for me. :-))
No dancing, but good food, great wine, and a beautiful cake, a tradition that dates back in a different form to Roman times. Back then, the cake was sprinkled on the bride’s head for good luck. Then the bride and groom ate a few crumbs–symbolically their first meal together.
The day was a soft summer day. Vineyards stretched down the mountainside and framed the deck. Off in the distance, we could imagine the glimmer of the ocean near the same beach so significant to the couple in California Sunshine.
What about you? What do you like to see in a romance novel wedding? In your own wedding? Leave a comment below.
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