By Rex Catubig

 

JUNE is branded as the marryingest month.  Of the several schools of thought, one harks back to the Roman times, citing the goddess Juno, who the month is named after, as the inspiration behind. “The goddess was the protector of women across all aspects of life, especially in childbearing and marriage”.

But another suggests that a midsummer wedding looks forward to a childbirth in spring, overcoming the gloom of winter. And this is symbolic of the rebirth that married couples undergo, as their union blesses them with an offspring of their love.

Whatever the reason, whatever the season, couples marry at the peak of their love, and it is always in June mode, though not necessarily on the month.

June provides a backdrop of summery feeling, of adventure and discovery, a heightened sense of new beginnings. And the bride, who may not be the blushing type, is nonetheless always a June bride.

The ritual of marriage itself has been boxed in patterned cookie cutter customs and traditions. But over the years, the young and the restless have continually steered clear of conventions and started reinventing the mating game.

I have been privy to a couple of these weddings of kith and kin and here’s the eyewitness account of how the millennials and their ilk reconfigured tying the knot:

1. When two IT yuppies decided to go traditional and tie the knot, it was anything but. The e-vite already hinted at what’s forthcoming. But when the day came, we were caught unawares by the lively unorthodoxy. The Catholic rites were stripped to the bone: there was no nuptial mass. And when it was time for the reception, shabby chic met games convention.

Held at an art gallery, customary floral centerpieces dotted the tables. But arrayed where plates would normally be, were various table games, the likes of which children play, casually laid out for the guests to fiddle with.

 

The open bar made sure the guests loosened up and were well-hydrated, but the nuptial banquet was license for inspired hunger games: gourmet hot dogs were ordered and served from a food truck parked outside!

The wedding that dates back to Cana has gone through transformation and translation through the years–but the young of today have wisely and smartly reinterpreted it and put back the miracle fun in the wedding package. For my niece and her groom, they opted for a jack-in-the-box that sprang playful surprises and fun galore.

2. It’s your common tale of boy meets girl: At first,  the girl is turned off by the boy, but later is charmed, and they fall in love. But theirs is an atypical love story, that strayed from the  usual live-in arrangement, and sought the blessing of marital vows.

Playing against type, the love language took this bohemian duo to the neo-gothic St Dominic Church in romantic San Francisco. Amid the majestic blare of Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary, the bride walked down the long aisle in the arm of her Dad, and joining the groom, the two walked up the high altar of carved Botticino marble, and exchanged nuptial vows—with the stained glass windows that lined the apse casting upon them a warm amber glow.

The lavish features of the wedding and post-nuptial party, with its fall-inspired décor, gave the initial impression of capitulation to established norms. But that view was struck down not long after.

Well, the entrance of the bridal entourage in the reception was predictably tame—until. Towards the end of the march, the groom suddenly broke loose from his bride, and gliding on roller blades, he circled her in a clever reinvention of the primeval mating dance. When the obligatory video clip came on, the danger of diabetic stroke was inevitable. But the irreverent but witty take off of the Psy Gangnam dance routine put a whole new dynamics to the number and drowned the hall in boisterous cheer.

In his speech, the groom talked about the journey of his relationship with his bride. They’ve gone through a lot, he said, but he feels that their journey does not end in the celebration that night. Because he feels that they’re on the verge of another adventure, another episode in their love odyssey.

 

Recalling his image playfully gliding on roller blades, evidently buoyed by love, being watched with glee by his blushing bride with arms outstretched, ready to catch him if he falls, one was at once enthralled and inspired –with a certainty that no matter where this love story leads on, their love will never take a wrong turn—but would glide and circle on.

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