Another strip in the graphic novel talks about how Adrian and Sarah's families and backgrounds play into the wedding. Historically family had always been an incredibly important part in marriage and has always had a huge role in the preparation of of the reception. A couples needs to balance what they want and what the family wants in the reception in order to make everyone happy. Tomine is Japanese, while his wife is Irish- and this gets mentioned when they are discussing what music to play at their wedding:
Its important to be aware of the cultural heritages of both families, but here it's a dilemma: they are so radically different, so they both opt to have neither the drummers or bagpipes at their wedding. "In the name of cultural sensitivity and harmony.... we'll have neither!" (Tomine, 21)
Socially, marriages are a huge event. Sarah and Adrian struggle with invitations and seating arrangements, because marriages are gathering for close friends and family, but its hard to define who is close enough to be at an event of this importance to you.
The earlier strips really talk about this frustration of who to invite. This is probably one of the most important things for young couples who are planning their weddings to really go through. Marriages are important events socially, historically and culturally, especially in Western culture. Although lately they have been on the decline: people aren't interested in taking the vow anymore. Though that doesn't stop couples like Adrian and Sarah from going through the rough ride of prenuptial planning to tying the knot.
More on Negotiating the Union:
Wall Street Journal
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