Prairie HiveWeddings are a special day not only for the bride and groom themselves but also for their parents. After giving birth to their precious child, they will now have to entrust him or her to someone with whom they will start their own family.
If you have been invited to a wedding, or you have been married yourself, you have probably observed parents bawling their eyes out. But why do parents cry at weddings in the first place?
While there might be a myriad of reasons why parents cry at weddings, there is actually one very simple but meaningful reason behind those tears. Parents spent their whole lives preparing their children to live their own lives. But the moment it finally happens, they cannot help but cry because they are sad and happy at the same time to see them go.
Why are Emotions High at Weddings?
Emotions are the one thing that everyone, not just the bride and groom, will feel during a wedding. After all, it is one of those rare moments when the whole family comes together to share stories and crack jokes.
There is also the excitement as siblings and friends dress up. Guests also feel a range of emotions once they finally get a first look at the groom and bride as they prepare to tie the knot. There is a look of happiness on every face in the room. The couple also shares a look of love.
All of these are the reasons why emotions are high at weddings. Weddings are one of those times when people show their vulnerability because they know that it is an important moment in the couple’s life as they prepare for a future ahead of time.
What Do Parents Feel During Weddings?
During weddings, it is common to see slight dampness in the bride’s father’s eyes, and even in the groom’s father’s now and then. Mothers, on the other hand, have this look of contentment.
While weddings are filled with all faces and forms of emotions, the most important of them all is the emotions of the bride and groom’s parents.
The parents usually experience a roller coaster of emotions during the wedding of their beloved child, and the following are the most relatable ones:
Fear
Fear is probably one of the most inevitable emotions that parents feel during the wedding of their child. This fear has something to do with whether their child made the right decision or not. Parents, after all, only want the best for their kids to the point that they usually doubt the decisions they make and even themselves as a whole.
Marriage happens to be one of the biggest decisions in a person’s life that need support from the parents, thus instilling more fear in mothers and fathers. Mothers fear if their child will be looked after in the same way they did, while fathers fear if their child’s life will continue to be as comfortable as before.
Of course, there is also that more imminent fear of no longer seeing their child every day and hearing their voice less and less as time goes by.
Joy
One of the greatest joys in any parent’s life is to see their kids as grown-up adults who are ready to start the next chapter of their lives. Weddings are special in many societies and cultures, with the whole family coming together to celebrate the milestone.
It is one of those times when everything is taken care of to make the event unforgettable for many years to come. Weddings are nothing short of a real-life fairy tale in this modern world, filled with stunning custom-made outfits and with venues being the perfect combination of traditions and functionality.
The sheer joy in this life event often leaves parents teary because they now know that finally, there is someone who can accompany their child in the journey called life and that their child will have someone to be there in both good and bad times. Parents feel this unique joy that cannot compare to anyone else’s.
Sadness
Unfortunately, joy and sadness always go hand in hand, even more so for the parents during their children’s weddings.
Although a wedding marks the joining of two hearts as one, there also happen to be two people in the wedding crowd who are sad to let go of someone special to them, which sometimes means being several miles away from each other.
The bride’s parents in particular shed a tear whenever they see their pretty daughter preparing for the big day. They also shed a tear as they walk their daughter down the aisle, and finally when the wedding vows are exchanged.
Surprise
Yes, even when it is finally the big day, some parents are still surprised that it is happening at all. They feel disoriented by the thought that their world will now change forever, and for some reason, they weren’t prepared for the moment just when they thought and assumed they were.
Parents feel this emotion when they see their beloved child all dressed up for the wedding. They reminisce about the old days and realize how fast the years went by and that the little child they used to hold in their hands will now be taking someone else’s hand in marriage.
Trust
It is not always easy for the bride’s parents to give away their beloved daughter to a man they probably don’t trust that well yet. As for the groom’s parents, they also hope their boy will marry someone trustworthy to continue the name and legacy of the family.
It makes trust one of the biggest emotions that parents on both sides feel because they want to be sure that their children found the right life partner for them.
Weddings are filled with all sorts of emotions for parents so don’t be surprised if you see yours cry on your big day. After all, what they feel is valid and is also normal so let them shed a tear or two.
