As we sat in the International wing of Phoenix airport at 6 am local time on the Monday after our wedding, a couple of things struck me. First, we were totally surrounded by newlyweds. There was a couple who didn’t want the limelight to shut off, so they talked very loudly about how big and expensive their wedding was. There was the couple who, if history repeats itself, will soon have eachother’s names tattooed on their already inky bodies. And finally there was the couple who both liked shiny things a little too much: both had big diamond-studded watches, matching his and hers solitaire diamond earrings, and both really liked her hot pink pants with BRIDE spelled out in rhinestones in her kaboose.
Yes it struck me that the international wing of cities like Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago and Charlotte are probably always packed with newlyweds early on Monday mornings.
And if you’re curious about how to pick the newlywed couple out of a crowd, it’s easy. Watch the guy. He won’t be able to stop playing with his ring. Most ladies have worn rings all of their lives, but most men haven’t. Not only is the feeling of the metal band foreign, so is the gravity of the commitment it represents. As a result, you’ll see Mr. Newlywed twisting his ring over and over, baffled with how such a small bit of gold could cost $500. Then he’ll look over at her rings, at the thousands of dollars corralled on her French-tipped finger, and he’ll feel better, or is it worse?