constance browne: The White Dress

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

The White Dress

Weddings and marriage seem to be on a lot of people's minds, especially when you come to college. I find even myself wondering when I'll get married, to whom, and what my wedding will be like. Right now I hope I don't marry until I'm in my later 20s, but I won't promise I won't before that! Life is so unexpected and things can just happen.
Marriage is a nice idea. It's comfortable, exciting, and shows genuine commitment to another person, in a way some of us may have never felt before. I know daydream of marriage - heck, I even have a wedding Pinterest board! Somewhere when little girls were young, they were told to look forward to marriage and settling down in that sense. It's interesting to think about how our (American) culture has engraved 'marriage' into the hearts of little girls. It's not necessarily a good or bad thing - it's just an observation of how things are. Our culture also defines that marriage means family, which can put a lot of pressure on people who decide to not get married, who don't want kids, or are single. Unmarried people unjustly are denied benefits that married people receive, emphasizing society's idea that marriage makes for a better life.
It makes me curious as to why some people choose not to marry, and others do. I can say right now that I do want to get married, although I'm not entirely sure why. The idea of someone loving me so much that they're committing themselves to me is so appealing. I love the idea of bringing new life into the world with someone I cherish and appreciate in a way they cherish and appreciate me. I want to build a life with my future husband and experience so many new things together. Does that make me selfish? When I look at my reasons to get married, they seem pretty selfish. Maybe it will take until I'm in that moment to realize why I want to be married, when that day comes.
In the mean time, I'll still wonder why I want to get married and continue pinning onto my wedding board. Here are a few of my favorite photos I've pinned. Weddings are so beautiful and positive - this board just makes me happy!