2 Weddings & a 4Star Hotel

Today has been a long day. I’m sorry that I didn’t make it into work this morning to coach the future stars of the musical world by waving my arms around maniacally, as I usually do on a Saturday morning (and that’s before the caffeine kicks in), but instead I did two different jobs. More precisely I did the same job twice in succession. I played at two different weddings.

The first was a Catholic wedding, the second a civil ceremony. The first was in a modern Catholic church (described rather inelequently by our viola player as looking ‘like a leisure centre’), the second in a modern minimalist-inspired hotel. The first had a cross-section of ages and social standings affirming parts of The Bible in responsorials, the other shiny businessmen taking pictures with their mobile phones.

I’ve spent the evening discussing the differences with the lovely Sarah, and we disagree. Yes, one seemed to be more thought out (playing for a wedding party whilst people walk passed on their way to their rooms from the hotel spar in dressing gowns seemed to lower the tone), the other more polished and formal, but I believe both have an equal worth to the participants. Yes, one was presided over by an elderly man whose life’s vocation was to help others in the name of God, whilst the other had the oxo mum (the Priest was Irish and we had a reading of one of my favourites, Yeats). Yes, in only one of them could you hear the Bride and Groom declare their devotion publicly. Yes, one was in front of depictions of the son of God, whilst the other was in front of a demolition site and air-conditioning ducts. However, I believe equal importance had been given to both by the couples involved.

I believe that the respective ceremonies were held in equal reverence by the couples involved. Both had chosen their music, their flowers, their dress, their photographers, their venue. I’m sure both meant their vows of fidelity to their new spouse. Maybe the day was just a little more special for the guests and relatives at one wedding, but then is the day really designed with them in mind?