John Gunter

Thoughts on Life and Living

My thoughts on weddings. . . (a series continued)

by

The wedding of Patrick and Patty Ku. . . good times.
The wedding of Patrick and Patty Ku. . . good times (not a great “hair day” for me, though).

Since June is all about weddings AND people rarely hear perspective on weddings from single men, I thought it would be fun to write a series on weddings.

I have been blessed to have been to 2,395,103,984 weddings over the years.  Also, I’ve been in the wedding party for many wonderful friends and family members.  I have seen and learned much from these experiences.  So, in this series of blog posts, I have written thoughts and stories along these lines.

I wrote most of this series last summer.  However, many people are now reading my blog who were not back then.  Therefore, I thought it would be fun to re-introduce it.

This past weekend, I attended yet another wonderful wedding here in Asia.  It was incredible seeing one of my best local friends celebrate God’s provision of a spouse for her.  It was a time of rich worship, strong fellowship with the others in attendance, and the usual pageantry and comedy which comes from wedding ceremonies.  I will write a post on this past wedding within the next week or two.

Here are the posts and articles I have written on weddings. . .

9 things I have learned from Mom & Dad’s 50 years of marriage

by

(This post is from my series, “My thoughts on weddings. . . (a series)“.  If you would like to read more of the articles, please CLICK HERE.

Mom Dad Wedding edited
June 24, 1962. . . Mom and Dad

July was the month of celebrating 50 years of marriage for my parents (click here to read about their wedding).  I was thrilled to be able to be in America to celebrate with them.  This anniversary was one of my primary motivations in doing this series on weddings.

In this post, I will simply write about a few things I have learned through observation from my parents’ marriage of 50 years. There are way more than nine things I have learned from watching my parent’s marriage over the years.  However, as I sit down to write about it, here are the first nine which come to mind. . .

9 things I have learned from watching my parent’s 50 year marriage:

  • Laughter is important – If you have never been around my parents together, that really is too bad.  They are fun.  They laugh.  Especially Mom.  She laughs often, freely, and with great volume (CLICK HERE to learn more about Mom and her laugh).  Mom genuinely thinks Dad is the funniest man in the world.  Seriously.  He is really funny.  Other people also laugh at my Dad’s humor, but nothing approaching the level or decibel of my Mom.  With them, I have seen laughter as vital.  Life can be hard.  Laughter is important, if not necessary.  If I ever meet a woman who thinks I am half as funny as Mom thinks Dad is, I will marry her then and there.  Well, maybe not that dramatically, but you get my point.
  • Children are a privilege and stewardship – Mom and Dad prioritized their kids above all things.  Mom quit work and poured her energy into us.  Dad halted all personal hobbies and activities while we were still in their home.  Once I went to college, the [Read more…]

3 overarching thoughts on cultural diversity in weddings (and life)

by

(This post is building upon my previous one titled, “My most awkward 20 minutes. . . and culturally rich weddings”. . . you might want to read it first if you have not already.)

John Gunter at the Graham wedding
Ed and Janelle Graham’s wedding and life are examples of the strength and beauty of bringing out the best in multiple cultures.  (I am on the top row second to the right.)

I love seeing the various elements of culture which are present in weddings from different places around the world.  It really is fun seeing the pageantry of differing customs brought to bear in the ceremonies.

Chinese weddings have a rich tradition of both elegance and in light-hearted humor intertwined in the ceremonies.  I especially like how the Chinese wedding ceremony goes to great lengths to honor the parents of the bride and groom.  There is a “tea ceremony” in each wedding.  This is where it is as if the parents are put on a pedestal in the acknowledgement that they have been central in their child’s life up to this point in time.  It is really nice.

Thinking about these experiences and in my life of 10+ years of living, studying, and working overseas, three thoughts come to mind. . .

Cultural diversity in weddings (and life) is stressful at times

A great example of this is of me at Marcus’ wedding (click here if you have not read it).  This was a case of differences in cultures at play.  I would be lying if I said it didn’t cause me stress.  However, in the end, it was an incredible wedding of which I was honored to be a part.

Last year, I was in a wedding here in Asia. [Read more…]

Betsy’s wedding gift and sacrifice

by

(This article is in “My thoughts on weddings. . . (a series)” that I did during June and early July.  If you have not read the other posts, I suggest you click here for an overview of the series and past articles.)

John Gunter with sisters at the beach
My wonderful sisters, Becky and Betsy

It was a few months prior to my graduation from college.  Life was crazy, but school was slowing down.  My sister Betsy was getting married in April.  You see, I love both of my sisters as much as is possible for siblings to love each other.  I was, and continue to be, fortunate to have sisters whom are also close friends.  To this day, there is nothing I enjoy more than spending time with Betsy and Becky.  Seriously.

Anyway, Betsy getting married was a big deal to me.  I was excited for her and proud of her.  My biggest desire was to get her an awesome gift.

Problem. . . I had a sum total of ZERO money.  None.  I could ask my Dad for money to buy this awesome gift, but this just didn’t seem right.  He would have happily obliged, but still it didn’t seem right.  I wanted to get Betsy a gift that expressed a fraction of my love for her (and Bill. . . my equally awesome brother-in-law).  What to do, what to do??? [Read more…]

Of all the weddings. . . this one was the most special

by

(This post is part of my series “My thoughts on weddings. . . (a series)”.  For an overview of and to read the other articles in this series, please click here.)

Mom and Dad Wedding picture (3)
June 24, 1962. . . a most special wedding in Glennville, Georgia.

In this season of weddings, my mind is reflecting today upon a particular wedding of which I was not a direct part of, yet it directly affected me more than any other in history.

This particular wedding began at 4:30pm on a Sunday afternoon.  It was June 24, 1962.  Fifty years ago today.

The setting was the sleepy southern town of Glennville, Georgia.  I’m sure it was hot and humid.  Sunday services had been in session there at the First Baptist Church just a few short hours prior to this wedding.  I’m sure there was hustle and bustle in putting flowers out and readying the church for this different type of worship service.

I’m certain the bride was stunning.  She still is 50 years later.  She had come to Atlanta out of Stetson University to become a teacher, but ended up falling in love.  I understand there were quite a bit of nerves that June day, but that was too be expected for an occasion of this magnitude.  Her cousin was performing the ceremony.  Her father had passed away a few years earlier, while she was a freshman in college, so he was unable to give her away.  Her mother, Georgia Mae, was poised and gracious as always, I’m sure.

I’m certain the groom was handsome.  He still is 50 years later.  With his cropped crew cut and quick natured confidence, I’m sure he was a site to behold.   He was just a few years removed from Georgia Tech and at the beginning of his professional career.  He was probably smirking and joking much of the day, as he has always been prone to humor in situations like this.  I imagine he was in rare form this particular June Sunday afternoon.  His family had come in car loads from Atlanta and other destinations.  I’m sure they were taking in the Glennville, Georgia charm.

Fifty years ago today my parents, John Wyman Gunter and Sarah Katherine Seckinger, were married.  My Dad, no doubt, shifted his feet impatiently [Read more…]

Subscribe to Blog by Email

Follow Me