Over the past few days, the most frequently asked question I’ve received is “did you watch the royal wedding?”

My answer is a resounding NO because I had plenty of other things to do on Saturday than watch Prince Harry wed Meghan Markle. Or as they are known now: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Or I as like to call them: just two people who are cute together.

From what I hear from people who watched and from the three minutes of news coverage I glanced at, I’ve learned that the wedding ceremony went well. No one tripped. No one knocked over any candles and accidentally set the church on fire (that happened once at a wedding my parents attended, and no, it was not their own). The weather was nice, I think. People wore fancy hats. Meghan’s dress looked pretty.

Also: there was a gospel choir! And an American bishop! They were reportedly both very good and very “modern.” A breath of fresh air to all the stuffy British traditionalism.

But sitting down to watch a wedding of two celebrities I don’t really know in another country entirely just isn’t my cup of tea (pun intended), so I skipped it.

Besides, I can get my wedding fix from scrolling through Facebook anytime. I’m at the age where a lot of people I know are getting married, so there’s an abundance every time I log in.

And a lot of the weddings I see on Facebook are seemingly no less extravagant than the royal one on TV last Saturday. I would not be surprised if one day someone posted a full-length documentary feature detailing every last bit of their wedding planning leading up to the “big day.”

We were discussing weddings a few months ago at a family gathering, and one of my uncles declared that Facebook had ruined weddings. He meant, of course, that everyone was trying to outdo everyone else. In the quest to get the most “likes,” people kept making their weddings more lavish than their friends’ ones.

I can’t say his statement is true, but I’ve seen a lot of Facebook posts out there that seem to back him up.

I’m not married myself, so I’m not here to really judge anyone on how they celebrate. I’ve just always preferred simple celebrations and quiet reminiscing. I love hearing my parents tell the story of their wedding day. But I don’t care much to sit down to watch the actual video of it. The stories are enough to enjoy.

The whole world had the opportunity to watch Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding. But I’m sure they have plenty of stories about that day the viewers at home didn’t see. Those will be the stories they can share with their family for years to come.

A wedding is, in the end, just a day after all. The marriage is the thing that’s supposed to last.

So congratulations to everyone out there who has a wedding coming up soon. And remember: you don’t have to be royalty to have a good time!

 

Holly Taylor is a staff writer for Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or by phone at 252-332-7206.