Vintage Bride

Vintage. Shabby chic. Refurbished antiques. It's a trend that's caught on like wild fire and doesn't appear to be going out any time soon. I noticed it a lot more this last year as I planned my wedding. You see it here and there in the every day world, but in the, as I've come to call it, wedding world, it's glaringly everywhere. It's so wide spread, anyone not following the trend feels outdated about not using outdated things.
It didn't really find it's way into my wedding because I felt seriously inadequate to do justice to the theme. Not everyone can decorate with things gathered from a garage sale and end up making it look like a magazine shoot. I had a feeling if I attempted the feat it would look more like, well, a garage sale. I like the look though. It adds a warm homemade feeling, something akin to that sensation you get when you hug your grandma after she's been baking and smells like cinnamon and snickerdoodles. It reflects a heritage while leaving room to add touches of "you." Connecting generations, if you will.
That being said, I find it a rather ironic trend, in the wedding world especially. Why? Because the supposed antiquated ideals have been peeled away from the vintage replications. To put it simply, marriage is being celebrated in a way that appears similar to how it might have fifty years ago, but lived without those fundamental values that make it last that long.
Vintage is popular until it comes to morals.
People have a tendency to express surprise when they find out the deeper details of the beginning of my marriage: You didn't live together or sleep together before you were married? No. He asked your dad if he could date you? Yes, the word court might have even been mentioned. You changed your last name to his and didn't even hyphenate? Yes. You didn't put a note somewhere acknowledging the injustice of gays not being able to marry? No. Your dad gave you away at the wedding, not just his blessing? Yes. Yes, we did, along with many other traditions that are suddenly non traditional.
Personally, I really like some of the ways weddings have changed over the years. We had a photobooth at our wedding and danced back down the aisle to a song from Grease. The bridesmaids' dresses were all different styles and we served our guests ice cream cupcakes. I love seeing how each couple makes their wedding unique to them and had fun doing so with ours. But there are some traditions that I refuse to let go of no matter how outdated they may seem. "Til death do us part," is one of those. Not the death of feelings or emotions, but a commitment to the unification of our lives until our bodies no longer house our spirits.
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on marriage after two whole months of wedded bliss. I'll be the first to admit that I have a lot to learn; I might as well be on my honeymoon! (Which I don't intend to end, by the way.) Regardless though, I plan to build my marriage on values that many have declared outdated. Even though it didn't show in the decor, apparently I am a vintage bride.