or Epithalamium, a poem in honor of a bride and bridegroom.

June will be upon us soon and somewhere between the beach and mountain retreats will be heard wedding bells.
I'd like to think so inspite of Jane Fritsch essay in today's New York Times titled "Matrimony: the Magic's Still Gone", where she says "So, at the beginning of the 21st century, there are very few truths universally acknowledged on the subject of men, women and marriage."

And then at the other end of the spectrum (actually on the opposite page of the above essay)is Nicholas Wade's essay "Birds Do It. Bees Do It. Some People Do, Too." A brief scientific look at monogamy, polygamy, polygyny (a males acquisition of many females), polyandry( a female's taking of more than one partner).

In this thread, I would like to see if there are exotic wedding rituals you have witnessed in other countries that you would like to share or is there a wedding you attended that was so special or extraordinary that you cannot forget it.
Quotes and epithalamiums are welcome, too.

chronist