Custom-made marriages

WEDDING bells are ringing somewhere all the time. My recent column on my godparents’ SOth wedding anniversary was a milestone celebration. And last week, if my precious parents had still been alive, on June 6, they would have rung in their 65th wedding anniversary.

- RAVI GOVENDER

In a world filled with infidelity and the like, the above two examples would seem like part of Aesop’s fables. Following on that theme, I decided to take a gander at wedding and marriage customs worldwide. Some are downright scary. Others are hilarious. However, if the couple want approval, they need to put up a brave facade.

Let me begin by quoting an old chestnut: What are the three most important things in a wedding ceremony? Apparently, they are “aisle, altar and hymn.”

However sexist folklore insists that the bride agrees but spells it differently. She apparently reads it as: “I'll alter him.”

For fear of spending tonight in the dogbox, I will refrain from elaborating on that.

Okay, let’s begin our journey around the world. I believe that is sometimes a term used on a honeymoon. Wedding customs are practised to basically create a link for the couple to their lineage or culture. As they say different strokes for different folks.

In the Philippines, they release a pair of white doves to signify a harmonious union. In South Africa, we do that at a funeral. Ouch! We better not mistakenly juxtapose that.