As couples still got married after 9-11 in the wake of tragedy, they gave us the gift of hope. But is The Terrorism Discount an appropriate response on the anniversary of the attacks?
Couples Still Got Married After 9-11
In the weeks following the shock of the 9/11 attacks couples and venues grappled with the concern of calling off the wedding or carrying on. Certainly no one would blame them for postponing. Travel across the country was halted, out of town guests could not fly in even if they wanted to. But as restrictions eased, and precautions were implemented, despite the national sorrow we could carry on.
Couples chose to keep their wedding date in the weeks after, and gave us a gift that we will never forget. If you can imagine the sense of dismay and bewilderment, the anger and the fear, that hung over our nation. No one knew where we were headed or what was to come next. The country was in a state of emergency. We mourned the loss and suffered the sense that on our homeland soil peace could be disrupted at such an unthinkable scale.
Is The Terrorism Discount an appropriate response?
In years past couples have avoided that tragic date. Venues instituted The Terrorism Discount. Was this the appropriate response to a great national tragedy? Or simply a marketing ploy to take advantage of a sad day in American history? Lemonade from lemons, or a tacky trick? What’s true is that Love Stories were born out of September 11, 2001.
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: “Tomorrow New York is going to be here”, he said. “And we’re going to rebuild, and we’re going to be stronger than we were before…I want the people of New York to be an example to the rest of the country, and the rest of the world, that terrorism can’t stop us.” Thus, I think we were determined to carry on our normal Lives to show ourselves and the world that nothing could stop Americans.
Thanks to the couples who continue to celebrate
Two weeks after ChicagoWeddingDJs performed at our first post 9/11 wedding reception. Amazingly, couples still got married after 9-11. The gratitude for the couple and their guests allowing us to celebrate was immeasurable.
So in this spirit I want to thank all of our couples of that time for giving us the gift of hope and promise through the story of their romance, love, and life together. These moments of a few hundred people gathering helped bring us back to what is most important in our lives, and gave as an example of how we can survive.
On all the anniversaries of 9/11 past and yet to come, we remember these brave, tender people, the couples still got married after 9-11. Each year we honor those we lost, those who labored to rescue, rebuild, and revive our sense of freedom.
It is my personal honor to be a part of what recaptures our loving spirit and kind dependence upon each other.
Thank you. God Bless.