The Christian Century

On the day I read through Valerie Weaver-Zercher’s review of books about the wedding industry, I encountered a young woman at the church reception desk who was breathlessly explaining that she had just secured the Cigar Bar at Ditka’s Restaurant, next door to the church, for her wedding rehearsal party. Walking by our building, she suddenly thought about how “neat” it would be to be married there—next door to Ditka’s! How much does it cost, she asked, and what kind of church is this?

We had to tell her that there were already several weddings scheduled for the Saturday in question. Apparently it had not occurred to her that her wedding might not trump whatever plans we had for the sanctuary.