Are weddings a threat to marriage?
Too many modern weddings have "lost their way", according to Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, in London. He says
"I'd even say that they've becomehe argues that the idea of self-sacrifice is lost when the ceremony is "specifically designed to be all about 'me', about being a 'princess for a day".
Most clergy I know prefer taking funerals to taking weddings," he revealed, explaining that they often have a dignity and moral seriousness that is "quite absent from many of the weddings that we get to take".
A number of recently-published surveys agree that the average cost of a wedding in the UK is around the £20,000 mark. Couldn't that money be better spent on starting a life together?
I have to confess I myself did turn into a bit of a "bridezilla" when I got married, getting stressed about the colour of the napkin ties and the flowers to go in my bridesmaid's hair. But I never lost sight of the important bit - ie the days after the ceremony, the life with my husband.
After all why shouldn't girls have their special day, does it mean they aren't taking marriage seriously? Or do we need to get back to basics when it comes to weddings?