Public declaration of private intent!

In conjunction with my 20th wedding anniversary recently, it is only appropriate to blog on wedding!
Most of the time wedding reception dinner speeches are boring. Nobody, except maybe the bride and the groom actually pay attention to what the speaker has to say. I suppose that is why I distinctly remember what my brother-in-law spoke on the occasion, the beginning at least! He started his speech by saying that a wise man once said that a wedding is actually a public declaration of private intentions. Though deemed unpalatable to be spoken in public, this 'tongue-in-cheek' kind of dictum may not hold water anymore.

Most young couples of the 21st century, have private intent on their mind first when casually meeting someone and like to get away as soon as it is over . Making a declaration, what more a public one, is the last thing on their minds! Wedding celebrations as it stays now remain a public declaration of private intentions by legitimizing private activities behind closed doors.

Diana-Charles union

I remember hearing a joke many years ago of how a sociology student was conducting a study in a small town. Part of his task was to fill up a questionnaire about number of children and marital status of ladies in that town. He approached the first lady to ask, "Are you married?" She replied, "Not yet." And the next question was, "How many children?" BAM!!! He got a slap on his face! Obviously shaken by the encounter, he changed his strategy when he interviewed his next subject. He asked, "Any children?" The interviewee replied, "Yeah, 3 children!" And then he asked, "Are you married?" BAM!!! Came another slap on the other cheek! The student dropped his papers and abandoned the research altogether.
Apparently, in that conservative society, it seem blasphemous to mention about having kids out of wedlock. In most societies, within a single generation, how things have changed!
Now, the British tabloids and citizens alike, have gone agape over the recent announcement of the imminent royal wedding between Prince William and a commoner with just as many limbs and appendages by the name of Kate Middleton, as if they have nothing else better to look forward to in life. Just like their parents went 'ga-ga' in 1981 during the Charles-Diana union which eventually came to zilch with mentions of adultery, infidelity and fornication. But it was alright since it was done by the blue blooded.

People of my generation would have a sense of deja vu looking looking at the recent turn of events. Almost 30 years ago, every teenage girls dream was have a wedding like Diana's, long pristine white dress with long bevy of toddlers following faithfully behind, horse carriage, roses and all. It looks like history is going to repeat itself, that is, if you believe what soothsayers of many beliefs have to say. In unison, they all see gloom and doom of the marriage which would not last more than 7 years. Hey, life is not that easy. We have to work hard to make it happen. That will be a wee bit difficult for the royal family - They do not work for a living!!!
Anyway, some private things are better left private to the privacy of consenting adult and their private lives behind closed doors or closets...