An American Wedding

K met J in graduate school. K is from India and he is currently a professor in one of the top universities of the world. J is from a small town in Ohio. They got married in July. Their wedding was an excellent opportunity for me to get a peek into the life and culture of a part of America. Brief snapshots from their wedding:

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It was an open air wedding. Both American penchant for “schedule” and the Indian liking for “spontaneity” (for lack of a better word) were in display. The wedding was to start at 11.30 in the morning. When a person came up to K at 11.35 and suggested, with a faint smile, that it did not look like they were going to get started on time, K got the cue. We were on course at 11.45.

American weddings are like McDonald’s food; snappy and ready in a flash. If you can’t wait to get married, literally, this one is for you. There ARE rituals, just as there are in the Indian weddings, but they are few and very brief. The ceremony was over by 12.15.

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The priest spoke in English, the language of the common folk, which meant that everyone present understood what was going on (those who cared, that is). More importantly, those who were getting married knew exactly what they were getting into; very unlike the Hindu weddings in which neither the groom nor the bride have the faintest idea what they committed to, for seven lives (yup!), the last minute.

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Tears and speeches, no wedding is complete without them. There were two speeches in the hot sun and a few labored tears. You could blame it on my lack of emotions, but the speeches that were generously peppered with tears did not evoke a lump in my throat. I guess tears are mandatory, so that people cannot say: “no one cried in her wedding” just like they do not want anyone to say “no one cried in his funeral”.

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The reception was quite nice and there were plenty of quality drinks going around. Most of the gathering comprised of the friend and family of J and that explained the less than spicy Indian chicken curry. I really appreciated the designated seats for each and every person and a cue for our turn in the buffet. This was so different from the long lines and mad rush in the luncheon buffets back home.

More speeches in the reception. We were seated in the far corner and therefore missed most of what was being said; our attention already focused on the excellent wine that was on offer 

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Ever heard of the obesity epidemic in the US? It is real. The number of really fat people in the countryside is mind boggling.