
I acquired married after I was nineteen years outdated. As I inform anybody who will hear, getting married so younger was a horrible thought. Even then, I knew it was a horrible thought. I barreled ahead with it anyhow.
We had a non-traditional wedding ceremony. There was no fancy ceremony in a church. As a substitute, we commissioned a justice of the peace to marry us within the yard of my mother-in-law’s home.
When the justice of the peace requested me who was strolling me down the aisle and “giving me away,” I hesitated. It wasn’t one thing I had considered.
How may somebody give me away if I wasn’t theirs to present? Wasn’t I an impartial girl?
My dad and mom and I’ve at all times been shut; my mom and father raised me. In keeping with custom, it ought to have been my father who gave me away. There was just one drawback. I didn’t belong to my father, and I wouldn’t belong to my husband. Possibly that’s two issues.
The thought of permitting one man to present me away to a different felt unsuitable. I’m not property. I don’t want to be given away, traded, or exchanged.
So I advised the justice of the peace that nobody can be giving me away on the wedding ceremony.
“I don’t belong to my father, and I received’t belong to my husband,” I mentioned. He appeared shocked however nodded his head.
We additionally omitted the entire gradual march down the aisle factor. That was my thought, too.
On the day of the marriage, my husband and I met along with his greatest man, my maid of honor, and the justice of the peace, in entrance of our company. Suddenly. No marching was required.
In the midst of the ceremony, when the justice of the peace would have mentioned, “Who provides this girl away to be married to this man?” he leaned in and shouted, “You’re not having anybody provide you with away. Proper?” I nodded my head. “That’s proper,” I mentioned in a small voice. The justice of the peace continued the ceremony, however I felt rattled.
Omitting that portion of the ceremony felt pure to me. Saying that I used to be omitting it didn’t.
Don’t get me unsuitable. I stand by my determination now as a divorced girl, as I stood by it then as a hopeful bride. I simply want issues had gone a little bit extra easily.
Following my divorce 4 and a half years later, I moved again into my father’s home. It’s a superb factor I didn’t let him give me away as a result of my husband would have needed to give me proper again.
Tracey Folly is a author who has been contributing life-style and relationship content material to the Web since 2009.
This text was initially printed at Medium. Reprinted with permission from the creator.