There are many aspects of a wedding that will work for some and not for others; those of us engaged in enabling couples to have memorable wedding days must remember some basic truths such as “personal taste is what it says, personal taste”, “no one makes a decision except they think it is good taste” and “what is one couple’s delight is another couple’s disaster”.
Now there is definitely a role for wedding professionals to offer gentle and reasoned advice but ultimately “it is not their wedding”; by the way that dictum (“it is not their wedding” ought to be inscribed on the palms of those to be married; I am convinced that above all else and beyond all others the couple must ultimately decide what it is they want… but more of this elsewhere).
I have aisle runners on grass, on sand, on ballroom floor and in churches but not so often in churches where I have served as the resident minister.
The aisle runner in the picture looks so perfect – it won’t look like that after parents, grandparents, bridal party and children have made their unique pedal impressions.
Of course some aisle runners are unrolled down the aisle just prior to the bride’s entrance; what an anticlimax! Imagine just prior to the bridal entrance a couple of groomsmen unroll the material and for this their experience is nil. They do their best with eyes intent upon them to unroll the runner carefully and straight and that is nigh impossible. They do their best, I hope, not to unroll inelegantly with posteriors raised high as they bend over to unroll the masterpiece.
Sometimes, for strategic reasons, wedding guests have to tip toe along the side of the runner in order to do it no damage nor misdirection. Some churches and venues have the privilege of guests being able to access seating from far left and far right which then reminds one of movie theaters where moviegoers must manoeuvre around the knees who decide to sit… end of aisle.
All in all, you can tell where my feelings lie and at least something can be removed from the ever-increasing list of expenses.
AN