Too much protocol at weddings?

Question

I went to a friend's wedding this weekend, and although i really enjoyed everything, i have to say that the only awkward moments were when we were forced to follow some very stiff protocol. Now, don't get me wrong, i'm all for tradition and the rituals, etc., but I feel that some things are just over the top, and I think people are forced to do them just because they're afraid people will talk. For example, we greeted the family and the couple outside of the church (Italian Canadian family, so lots of ritual, etc). Then we saw them again and chatted with them casually (better) in the hall during cocktails, etc. But right at 6pm, despite the fact that we had been there for 1-1/2 hours already, took pictures, etc., they made all of us get out of the hall to the lobby,and do another greeting line, which took over half an hour... so the same thing again- kiss kiss, congratulations etc. I thought that was unnecessary, and really, you come off insincere by that point. Am I alone on this one?

Answer 1

I agree I would have had cocktails until the line thin down

Answer 2

A wedding is supposed to be all about the bride and groom and their special day. The newlyweds are beginning to resemble students in school productions arranged by a frustrated performer disguised as a music teacher or theater arts advisor. The focus of the day is less about the students and becoming more about the event. Order is necessary to assure no element of the event is missed. Unfortunately, opting to combine ethnic, religious and traditional rituals rather than selecting only the most personally meaningful ones makes for a veeeeeerrry long tedious day for the guests.
There was a time that a couple could put together an entire wedding in practically no time at all. Today’s weddings seem to require bridal consultants to do the job a couple of mothers, a few aunts and a circle of friends used to put together over a few weekend nights. It didn’t take a month of tasting cakes to find the right baker followed by a month of tasting appetizers to find the right combination to compliment the entrées that took a month of auditioning chefs to select. It was enough to employ the same vendors used by friends, family or the annual mother/daughter fashion show for the women’s auxiliary. The menus may be changed slightly and the flowers usually reflect the seasons but the focus was never blurred. The celebrations were all about the bride and groom and their future together. Ceremonies were often performed at the same place of worship attended by either the bride or groom or both since grade school. Whether simple or formal, in a VFW Hall or at a country club, receptions didn’t require scripts, guests were fed, entertained and had the opportunity to spend time with the bride and groom whom they could identify even if they weren’t wearing costumes. A toast could be offered at any time by anyone and the microphone could be turned over to the friend or relative with a voice like Frank Sinatra or Barbra Striesand (real or imagined) for a molar revealing power ballad dedicated to the newlyweds.
A bride in this 2007 can spend more for a dress than the total cost of her parents wedding from ring through souvenirs of the honeymoon less than 25 years ago. “Destination Weddings” are rapidly becoming the trend that although romantic, presents an incredible financial burden to any guest wishing to attend. Parents are mortgaging their homes to pay for an elaborate event, the likes of which shall never be duplicated. By never, I mean not until they attend the next wedding also paid for by the bricks and mortar that once sheltered the bride and her family.
In the 21st Century, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, weddings have morphed from simple two-ring ceremonies to three - ring circuses.

Answer 3

That sounds stressful, I agree. Little too much. Hope it wasn't a huge wedding. I bet you were nervous and on top of that hungry!

Could you excuse yourself to the restroom and go grab a drink real quick and a few appetizers?

Unless you are the mother of the bride, then I would say hang in there, but you know things happen. You may be missed for 10 minutes, but it's o.k.

Answer 4

Don't blame "protocol" for this. Where I live (US) protocol calls for one and only one receiving line, and the couple is not supposed to keep the guests waiting around (but they do anyway). I feel safe in assuming the same is true in Canada.