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I knew very little about the royal wedding until the day it happened.  Of course I do live in this world, so I heard that Prince Harry had a wedding coming up.  I couldn’t scroll through Facebook or walk past the check out magazines without seeing headlines about it.  But I had never heard of Meghan Markle nor did I pay any attention to who she is.  A couple of weeks ago a client at my workplace asked me if I would watch the royal wedding. I said “I don’t know.  When is it?”  And when he informed me it would take place a week from Saturday, early in the morning, I said “No.  I will NOT be watching the royal wedding.”  I pride myself in not getting caught up in societal hype. (cough, cough)

A Weekend Away

When the big weekend approached, never once did I think about the royal wedding.  My husband and I were taking a night away from the usual routine.  We went out of town, staying in a hotel for the night.  We don’t watch TV at home (except sporting events), so when we get away we like to veg out in front of the TV.   A movie about Harry and Meghan played on Friday night.  I kind of got caught up in the characters, enjoying how much they really respected and loved each other.  The two also had to overcome many obstacles in order to not only be accepted together, but to marry.  Interesting, but not something that took over my thoughts and dreams.

The Big Day

Of course, Saturday morning TV lit up with the wedding coverage.  Not only was the media salivating with the desire to be in the middle of it, the crowds around the ceremony site were beside themselves with joy.  There were wedding commentators in place to hash over all the traditional royal protocol and predict what clothing designers would be represented.  These same commentators were more excited than a young child on his birthday.  Not a squeal was squelched.  Not a giggle was muffled.  The commentators even admitted that they were “freaking out.”  Admittedly,  I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the excitement of it all.  So we watched.

The Pros

The media did a wonderful job of building anticipation for  Meghan exiting the limo at the wedding chapel.  They speculated on her dress and compared her to past royal brides.  I watched intently, determined to see the big moment.  It didn’t disappoint.  There is something about a royal that gets a girl’s eyes wide and wonderous.  When young, most of us have dreamed about being the bride of a prince.  Meghan grew up in America with not a lot of money as a child.  She is the epitome of a damsel swept off her feet by a handsome prince.  Add to this dream the picture of a bride elegantly climbing chapel steps with a long white lacy veil, and storybook envy appears.  I couldn’t help but swoon.

There is also something refreshing about a world wide watched event which exemplifies decency.  British royals posses traditional rules for social situations.  Some seem ridiculous, such as the women’s side hats.  But in this world of objectifying women with “less is best” clothing suggestions, I appreciate that the royals enforce long sleeves, covered shoulders and high neck lines for the women who attend their event.  The men also have attire guidelines.  I know the royals aren’t necessarily exemplary behind the scenes.  They are human just like the rest of us.  But it is inspiring to see a well respected family promote tradition, appropriateness and dignity, and the obscene world watches them anyway.

The Cons

Even though I enjoyed the entertainment of the royal wedding, it is a little odd to me that some people love obsessing over it.  The commentators dubbed themselves experts in the field.  One claimed to be knower of all things British, one was self appointed as the Meghan Markle fan club president, and the other two appeared simply gaga.  The giddy atmosphere made me somewhat excited as well, but I couldn’t help but think, “Don’t these people have things to do that relate to their own lives?”  I find it a little sad that some people want every detail about someone else’s monumental occasion.

The second sad thing- the money spent.  The wedding appeared sweet, beautiful and everything fitting a royal, but the media reported that it cost 45 million dollars.  I won’t pretend to know what piece of it racked up that kind of price tag, but it seems that it could have been just as amazing for less cost.  That much money could have done so much good around the world.

View From Above

The following is a perspective that not many people likely think of.  I tend to step back and look at these kind of events from afar-  the wedding, the hype, the media, the crowds, the family.  On the whole it seems a little silly.

Because I believe in the existence of one all powerful God, I wonder what He thinks of so much focus put on one earthly event.  Somewhere in my upbringing, I got the impression that God is either pleased or displeased with earthly events.  And surely this attention grabbing extravagant wedding didn’t please Him. But when I asked my husband what he thinks God’s view would be, he said “Well, God is only concerned about what actually happens at the altar.  The rest of the hubbub He would just find unnecessary.”  I like this assessment.  God just might be neutral about some things.  Maybe He loves the fact that Harry and Meghan made a vow before Him, but finds the rest of the details just plain silly.  Not evil, but silly and helpful to no one.

Closing

And thus ends my assessment on the royal wedding.  I learned some things about British royal wedding tradition, witnessed a beautiful couple tie the knot, and enjoyed the scenery of England on a beautiful sunny day.  The event even coerced me into putting my thinking cap on to evaluate it spiritually.  All in all I would call the experience a win (even though I didn’t plan to observe the event). Thank you to the royal family for your entertainment.

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