Emotions. The one thing that is certainly to be felt in any wedding are emotions. The coming together of the family, cracking jokes, sharing stories. The excitement of the siblings and friends on dressing up. The first look of the bride and groom as they get ready to tie the knot. The look of happiness across all the faces in the room. The slight dampness in the eyes of the father. The look of contentment on the face of the mother. The look of love between the lovers.
A wedding is filled with it, in different forms and faces. However, the one that is the most important, after of course the bride and the groom, are the emotions of the parents. They go through different emotions throughout their child’s wedding. Some of the most relatable ones are below:
THE FEELING OF JOY
There is no greater joy to a parent than to see their little one all grown up and ready to step into the next stage of life. Weddings are a custom in the Indian society, and event where the whole family comes together. It’s that one time when the best of all is taken into consideration to make it a wedding that will be remembered through the years to come. From the most photographic outfits custom designed by the best designers to the most memorable venue that combines functionality and traditions, a wedding is nothing short of a fairy tale in today’s times.
The joy in such events of life is such that parents usually get teary eyed out of sheer joy of knowing that there is finally someone who can accompany her/him through the walk of life and that she won’t be alone in her/his good and bad times. The feeling of joy during a wedding is like none other for any parent.
THE FEELING OF TRUST
When it comes to the parents of the bride, it’s not easy to give a child away to someone they may have not gotten to trust yet. When it comes to the parents of the groom, they too want someone whom they can trust enough to take ahead the legacy and name of the family. Hence, trust is one huge emotion that the parents of both sides to go through, knowing that their respective children have found their perfect partner.
THE FEELING OF FEAR
There is also that inevitable fear of the unsurety if whether the decision is right or wrong. At the end of the day, parents want the best for their children and often doubt themselves and the decisions they make. Similarly, marriage, being a huge decision of one’s life that is supported by their parents, gives way to a lot of fear. A mother fears if her child will be well taken care of and a father fears if his/her life will still be as comfortable as he had tried to make it all this while. Add to it the fear of seeing their child a little less everyday, and hearing their laughter every morning a little less everyday.
THE FEELING OF SURPRISE
Won’t it be surprising to wake up one day and see that your world has changed? That the future has come too soon and that you were not really prepared for the moment even though you thought you were always prepared?
Parents go through a similar emotion of surprise when they see their child all decked up and ready to start a new life. They think of all the old days and how fast years had gone by and come to a point where their child is getting married.
THE FEELING OF SADNESS
Happiness and sadness go hand in hand. While a wedding is one of the happiest moments in someone’s lifetime, there are two people in the crowd who are definitely sad to see their loved one start a new home, sometimes miles away from them. Parents of the bride shed a tear every time they see their daughter getting ready for the moment of truth. The ritual of ‘Vidaai’ is probably the most emotionally sad moment in an Indian wedding, whereby the bride is bid farewell and showered with blessings to start her new life.
A wedding is a turmoil of emotions for the parents whose children are getting married. However, the emotions are usually mixed and so strong that most of it brings tears to the eyes. As with sadness and joy, even surprises and fears can make a parent shed a tiny, silent tear.
