Confronting SPIRITUALITY
How A Wedding Becomes A Catalyst For Defining Who We Are by Matthew Roser
“A
wedding is the one time in your life when everyone important will be present,” says Kelli Corn, lead designer and creator of an events company of the same name. Gathering each of the influencing players in our life story ultimately leads to very strong implications. The wedding, after all, shares many similarities with graduations, spiritual ceremonies, and other evocable moments. These occasions celebrate the cumulative values and knowledge that defines our character. But the wedding is more than a source of personal reflection and revelry: it becomes a solution to the unanswered questions that we all must confront. What future do we want? What is our identity? And how will we mend the past? Kelli explains that both bride and groom must come to terms with their spirituality, especially in inter-faith marriages, and contend with their spouse’s differences. Religion and spirituality force the couple to think of their
future and what steps they will take to arrive at that destination. These answers include what rituals the family will observe and the values that their children will learn. Of course, these strong decisions begin to put the new family’s identity into perspective. What aspects will they carry on from their families? What traditions will they create of their own? And how will these all fit into a meaningful legacy that their children will inherit? The wedding becomes one of the starting points, if not the first, where the couple may define themselves as not two individuals, but one whole. The very nature of the wedding is a representation of the bride and groom through design, choice of guest list, and the very ceremony itself. Yet, perhaps the most markedly powerful answer the wedding can give is its ability to satisfy the unclosed chapters of our past. Kelli recalls a wedding she planned for two men. After the ceremony, one of the fathers stood up and toasted the newlyweds. He explained how he was very uncomfortable when his son first brought his boyfriend home, but he was so glad that the two had stayed together. Or in the father’s own words, “I couldn’t imagine you with anyone else.” If there ever was a time when someone close to us showed a lack of support, the wedding is a way to wipe the slate clean and renew that bond. Kelli can vouch for the power behind the wedding. She sees the way that it affects her clients, and feels the energy as it dances along the chapel walls. It is more than a mere party. She becomes the counselor and advisor to the future legacies that boldly march into that unknown future. n
14 LEGACY ARTS August 2016 22 2016 www.paragonroad.com www.paragonroad.com