By Elizabeth Skalski
For the most part, little girls grow up dreaming about getting married.
Maybe it’s because they play with Barbie dolls, dress up in poufy dresses with our friends and read books and watch movies where many of the female characters fall in love and get married.
As you grow up you learn about the sacrament of marriage and how serious it is. It is sacred, not meant to be taken lightly.
The day I have been groomed to wait my entire life for is almost here.
I am getting married in two days.
I am getting married – to a man and in the Catholic Church – at a time when Hollywood glamorizes celebrities who marry and divorce as quickly as fads come and go, have children out of wedlock and marry someone of the same sex as society allows marriage to be defined.
Same-sex marriage is legal in nine states, including Maryland – albeit where it will be challenged by referendum in the 2012 general election.
The sacrament of marriage is commercialized – much like Christmas.
When you’re knee-deep in planning a wedding, it’s easy to forget about the marriage and only focus on the wedding day itself – the dress, the cake and reception – and get sucked into the hoopla and jump off the deep end spending money.
A wedding isn’t about a moment – it’s about the marriage.
It’s about after you’ve said your vows, the reception ends and guests go home, you hang up the fancy white dress and tuxedo, and look at your new spouse.
It’s about walking together, hand-in-hand through the good and the bad times that are to come and keeping God in your heart and on your mind.
During my 14 month engagement, my fiancé and I have had the time to fully consider the seriousness of the lifetime commitment we are about to make to each other, before God, our priest, family and friends.
In preparation for our wedding day – besides selecting the readings and music, a reception venue, the menu, and planning our honeymoon – we have prayed together and attended Mass together, met with our priest and deacon multiple times and attended a marriage preparation weekend to help prepare us for marriage and the lifetime commitment we are about to make to each other.
We have talked about our goals and dreams for the future.
Planning a wedding is no small feat. It is time consuming, expensive and stressful.
It’s a process for a reason and a covenant that should be revered and entered with the utmost sanctity.
Elizabeth Skalski is a staff writer for the Catholic Review.