Miss Manners on Show Business

Here is a theatrical scenic element--lovingly made by the groom and incorporating symbols important to the bride and groom. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.

As you may recall, I’ve been reading Miss Manners on {Painfully Proper} Weddings by the inimitable Judith Martin.  I am a big fan of Miss Manners, but sometimes I disagree with her.  This is one of those times.

You see, Miss Manners has a categorical dislike for any element of show business poking its nose into a wedding.  As a show business professional (as I have been for decades), I think she is overlooking some important things.

For one thing, the art of theatre as we know it now came originally from the religious rituals of ancient Greece.  So, there don’t need to be separate categories for religion and for spectacle.  Some modern religions have more spectacle than others, but there is often a place in religion for a visually representative ritual.

But also, as every theatre artist knows, an element of spectacle is only any good if it reinforces the main theme.  If it is extraneous to the main concept of two people solemnly marrying each other, then it should go.  But if it reinforces that all-important idea, then I think it has a place in a wedding ceremony.