So, it should come as no surprise that some couples want to highlight their eternal bond by marrying in a cemetery.
Cemetery weddings are nothing new. Jews living in Eastern Europe and in the US sometimes held weddings in cemeteries during times of mass disease - like during the 1918 influenza - in the belief that having the ceremony in the presence of the dead might bring about better times.
In the US, Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, became a popular site for weddings after it opened in 1906. In 1940, actor-turned-US President Ronald Reagan chose it as the venue for his marriage to his first wife, actress Jane Wyman.
For most of the 20th century, though, cemeteries were cordoned off in the American imagination as morbid spaces one did not visit unless necessary.
This has changed with the recent "positive death" movement, which has sought to remake the cemetery as a place of exploration and, even, celebration.
"Every year, we get more and more requests," said Mr Richard Harker, executive director of the foundation that operates the Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. He said that in 2023, Oakland hosted 36 weddings and 25 funerals.
But holding a cemetery wedding does present challenges that marrying in a hotel ballroom or chapel might not.
The decision can be deeply personal. This was the case for Ms Sabrina Gandara, 38, of Portland, Oregon, who works in a retirement community.
In 2019, she married Mr Andrew Rodriguez, 37, a service writer for a car dealership, while standing over the grave of her grandfather, Mr Joe Gandara II, at the Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, California.
この記事は The Straits Times の November 06, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Straits Times の November 06, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek has cancer
American actor James Van Der Beek (right), who starred in the 1990s teen TV drama Dawson's Creek, on Nov 3 said he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Content creator Mayiduo's directorial debut is a film with a cast of influencers
Local content creator Kelvin Tan, better known by his online moniker Mayiduo, is making his directorial debut with a cast of influencers.
Actress Diana Danielle asks estranged husband Farid Kamil to let her go
Malaysian actress Diana Danielle shared that she had spent a full year trying to reconcile and improve her marriage with actor Farid Kamil, but it was futile.
Sour plum juice, chilli crab and laksa for Dua Lipa
Pop star Dua Lipa has been enjoying herself in town ahead of her two shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Nov 5 and 6, which kick off her world tour in support of her third album, Radical Optimism (2024).
Shawn Mendes opens up on why he walked away at his peak
NEW YORK - On a rainy summer night, on a club stage in Woodstock, New York, Shawn Mendes was ready for tears. Happy tears, overwhelmed tears. Just some processing-everything-as-it-happens mistiness.
Christmas action with Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans
Festive flick Red One also marks a return to action films for American actress Lucy Liu
M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2025 Experimental platform grapples with displacement
Meanwhile, the festival organiser is looking for a new title donor
Cemetery weddings find new life thanks to 'positive death' moment
It is right there in the vows uttered at innumerable weddings each year: \"Till death do us part.\"
Whole body deodorants get popular
If you suddenly feel as if you are being inundated with advertisements for something called \"whole body deodorant\", you are not alone.
Having a recovery day? Stay active
Low-impact movement can be more effective than rest for reducing muscle soreness after exercise