Are you getting Married or Wedded?

A couple of friends are getting married shortly,
Being the literary, i wanted to give them a low down on what they are getting into, by defining marriage.. so here goes..

First lets do some research

What is marriage...

Oxford Dictionaries define marriage as the formal union of a man and a woman, typically as recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife:
And Dictionary.com defines it as the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

OK, then what is a wedding?

Oxford Dictionary defines Wedding as  a marriage ceremony, especially considered as including the associated celebrations
Dictionary.com defines Wedding as the act or ceremony of marrying; marriage; nuptials.

Phew and i thought Wedding and Marriage was the same,

I cant be blamed for thinking that Marriage can be this complicated can I, being naive that I am.

That to me means, Marriage is a Legal Union, and Wedding is the ceremony.

I’ve never really believed that you just marry one day at the mandap or before a registrar. I believe that you become married — truly married — slowly, over time, through all the small fights, incidents and pre - colonoscopy enemas, all the small and large moments that you never expected to happen and certainly didn’t plan to endure. But then you do: you endure. TOGETHER.

But we see so many marriages (legal ones) fall.. how to make better marriages?

But how to start? What would a better marriage look like? More happiness? Intimacy? Stability? Laughter? Fewer fights? A smoother partnership? More intriguing conversation? More excellent sex? Our goal and how to reach it were strangely unclear. We all know what marriage is:  But a good marriage?

Marriage???????

Buddhist parable of the blind men and the elephant. One blind man “feels the tusk, inferring that elephants are hard and sharp-edged, like a blade. Another touches the soft, flexible ear, concluding that elephants are supple, resembling felt. A third imagines massive strength from grasping the pillar-like structure of the leg. The perspective of each person touching the elephant is valid, as far as it goes. . . .” But no one understands the whole beast.


So to me Marriage is a very perceptive feel, if both of you can have one view about it, you are married, if not, then you are just wedded.

So whats it going to be a Marriage or a wedding?

Rishi