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 Even though all Artists strive on the imagination or creative ability, I think all people have the ability to imagine. Our minds are constantly at work with millions or more desires and thoughts running through each day. Even while engaged in conversation in one location with someone, our minds or imagination could be dwelling in some other place. Imagination is the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses, or never before wholly perceived in reality. Or to create an image of something in our minds that we would like to achieve or do. 

Most people refer to this as having a dream. In reality a dream occurs while we sleep and is often very fleeting and we can’t always remember what the dream was about. But the imagination is at work while awake and is like a movie in our minds which we can play often, and work toward achieving or realizing. It is like a preview of what we expect to come. Most often the imagined thing might be beyond our ability to do or achieve presently because of not having the money, time or circumstances. 

Some of us might imagine having a certain type of car, a fabulous home, or going on big vacations to exotic places each year. We form imaginative images in our minds of actually driving in the desired car, living in that fabulous house or being on that exotic vacation, actually living the life we desire in the imagination but not being in a position financially or having the circumstances presently to fulfill that desire. Inspite of not having all the circumstances and money to achieve all our desired imaginative goals we can find ways to bring them as close to reality as we possible can. Think about a couple whom have a dream wedding in mind. This time of the year is usually called the season for weddings. 

 Summer is the time a lot of weddings takes place, and weddings can be very expensive depending on the desires of the couple. Counting the cost of the wedding dress itself which is several thousands of dollars, the bridal party, the Reception Hall, hiring a Wedding Planner, Catered food, The Cake, hiring a DJ for music, all these expenses can run a couple into thousands of dollars plunging them into dept that will have to be repaid long after the wedding day is over. Not a very wise way to start married life. But in today’s economy most couples may not have the money to have such a big expensive wedding as desired. So they may have to find an alternative way to fulfill their imagination. And some are doing so very surprisingly and successfully. 

Just this past Saturday I went to one of my cousins weddings living here in Queens New York. He mentioned on the invitation that it would have a Hawaiian theme, and that everyone should wear semi formal colorful tropical clothing in keeping with the theme. So of course I went all dressed up in my colorful bright print outfit, full of curiosity as to how they would pull this Hawaiian thing off living in New York.  

Well was I in for a surprise! The wedding reception was in the backyard of his home which is very large, and from the very entry I was greeted in the Hawaiian fashion and a Hawaiian garland or lei of artificial flowers was put around my neck. On entering the reception area everyone was indeed dressed very colorful and semi formal all with their Hawaiian garland of flowers or the lei around their necks.

There were fake Hawaiian palm trees all around the lawn, artificial garland of flowers entwined around the fence. The main tables were decorated with the Hawaiian shredded straw skirts, and burning torches were placed around the lawn for light at night.  The Bride was dressed in a simple long white silk strapless dress, with a rose colored Hawaiian lei around her neck and a flower in her hair. My cousin the groom wore a colorful Hawaiian print shirt with his lei of flowers around his neck and a shredded straw skirt over his black pants.  

It was as if the whole back yard and atmosphere was transformed into a place on a Hawaiian island. I felt like I was in Hawaii, everything reflected that look and feel. The grass on the lawn under my feet, to the fake Hawaiian palm trees, the torches at night, the flowers entwined around the fence, the colorfull attire on everyone and the Hawaiian garlands of flowers chains around everyone’s neck. The food was all cooked and prepared by other family members, and was self served on paper plates, and plastic utensils.    

This was indeed a nice example of a couple whom fulfilled their imaginative wedding. They desired or imagined having their wedding and reception on a Hawaiian island, but couldn’t afford it. So they fulfilled that image or desire by creating a similar one right at home that cost them hardly anything. There weren’t any expensive wedding clothes for both the Bride and Groom, no expensive wedding party putting other people in debt by having to purchase special clothes for the wedding. Those artificial Hawaiian flower garlands were done by using simple colorful plastic paper and stringed together but look like the real flowers used on the Hawaiian Islands. 

None of the invitees had to purchase any special formal wear to go to this wedding, no extra money spent for food and entertainment, since all this was provided by other family members and friends. His mother made the wedding cake, which in itself can cost a couple hundreds of dollars if ordered through a professional wedding cake place. Other family members served as the DJ’s providing great music, which everyone was dancing to right on the grass. And there was enough food and drink for everybody to have second servings if they wanted to, which at most formal reception halls you don’t usually get that opportunity. 

There was also another example of an imaginative wedding I heard about on the news and saw the video on Youtube. The bridal party actually came dancing down the aisle right in the church itself. And the whole bridal party was dressed very inexpensively. The Bride had on a simple white gown, no elaborate wedding dress and veil, just two brides maids and ushers. They were dressed in simple spaghetti strapped dresses with a small flower bouquet in their hands and the ushers had on vest over their shirts, no expensive suits and bow ties. 

 No doubt this is all they could afford, and probably didn’t have another big reception after the wedding, so they provided the entertainment and wedding all together. Or maybe they had a simple reception after the church wedding, that didn’t cost much or involved much entertainment. But it showed that they probably had imagined having this type of non traditional wedding, and so they were fulfilling their imagination the best way they could according to their circumstances. 

These examples are just with regards to fulfilling imaginative weddings, but we all have other desires and images in our minds of other things we would like to have or do.  In my next post I will write more about some of the other ways we can fullfill these imaginations under whatever situation we find ourselves in.

Written by Glenda Brill (C)

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