Welcome to St. Regis, decked out in a Shangai theme, complete with the feathered frills, vintage songbird, and zany emcee. Its been awhile since we have attended a wedding dinner with such glitz and glamour. Every table had a towering tablepiece, which added to the grandeur, but posed a lot of problems with line-of-sight. I don’t remember seeing the emcee’s face at all the entire evening, for all his attempts to leave a lasting impression. Felt a little sorry for him, having to crack jokes in mandarin which no one in the ballroom seemed to understand or to care about.
The food was generally good with excellent presentation, but perhaps trying a little too hard to impress. You’d have to say that it was certainly unique, not the standard Chinese wedding dinner fare. Portions were individually served in French style minimalist portions with great flair and an eye for detail. Service standards of the waiting staff was rather disappointing, I must say, with our drinks being forgotten at least four times.
Amidst all this talk about the venue, the decor and the food, lets not forget what the wedding is really about, the celebration of love between two people joined together for a lifetime of commitment and companionship. The emcee quipped, “Marriage is not a word, it is a sentence… a LIFE SENTENCE.” Well perhaps we shouldn’t put it so negatively, but there is a lot of truth in that statement. The BIG DAY is only the beginning, the BIG CHALLENGE is to navigate the twist and turns and bumps and bruises of a lifetime of togetherness. Will the union stand the test of time? We always start out with the best of intentions, but a lot of the time we place expectations on our partners and on the relationship, and in so doing we forget what love is really all about.
Love suffers long and is kind: Are we prepared to exercise patience and grace to our partners? Do we accept that nobody is perfect, that in a marriage, you will often experience both the good side and the bad side of your partner? Are we kind to each other? Do we seek to understand before being understood?
Love does not envy; love does not parade itself:Don’t look at others and compare, don’t exalt yourself above the other. You might end up winning the argument, but losing the relationship.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things: Are we a pillar of support to our partners? Or are we a lighted fuse? Are we one that inspires and brings out the best in the other? Or do we make a habit of tearing each other down? Are we willing to go through the sun, the rain, the valley, the storm, through good and bad times with each other? Action speaks a lot louder than words. Many promises have been made, and many promises not kept. How much is your word worth?
Love never fails:True selfless agape love never fails to bring about the best in any relationship. True love is an emptying of yourself, your desires, your needs, and only focussing on the object of your love. You will give your all, and even your life, for the sake of the other person. A sacrificial love. A pure love, without any evil agenda. Love isn’t a feeling, it is a decision, a choice. Long after the fuzzy emotional feelings die down, true love will remain, almost spiritual in nature, it will stand the test of time. Are we committed to dying to ourselves and dying for others?
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