Picture this:
“You’re strolling through Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, awestruck by its beauty, when you come across a sign that reads, “Your heritage is being vandalized every day by theft losses of petrified wood, 14 tons a year, mostly a small piece at a time.”
You’re initially shocked but continue your journey, observing a few people pocketing small pieces of wood along the way. These pieces seemed like amazing keepsakes. But why were they doing this when the signs explicitly warned against it?
A few years later you happened to meet a ranger who worked at the National Park. He explained to you that the theft of petrified wood had been significantly reduced. Relieved, you asked how the change occurred. To your surprise you discovered that all they did was to take down the signs and the occurrence of theft reduced.”
Whaaat?
This story, inspired by a true event at Arizona’s National Park, highlights a phenomenon – the unintended consequences of behaviour normalisation. The signs that were used to deter theft actually had an opposite effect by normalising the unwanted behaviour. Visitors actually internalised a message that if it was so common, it must be ok, everyone was doing it. Weird huh? Or not…
The Bandwagon Effect
“The bandwagon effect” is a powerful driver of human behaviour. People are drawn to choices based on what others are doing. More importantly, research has shown that we are even more drawn to choices made by people we like and respect. We want to be “a part” of that group.
How does this relate to your wedding? Don’t get me wrong, In no way do I want to suggest that your wedding should not be about fun, love, laughter and celebration. Of course it should. It should be everything you’ve ever dreamed of.
However, if you’re someone who wishes to make a positive difference in the world, and you want your wedding to reflect your authentic self, it’s worth considering the bandwagon effect. Your special day will be celebrated by many family and friends. What you do or don’t do can influence the way your guests perceive the world and the choices they make.
Weddings can make a difference
Let’s consider an example: incorporating an Aboriginal Acknowledgment of Country in your ceremony. By doing this, you are more likely to normalize and promote the value of respecting our first nations people. On the other hand, if you skip it due to concerns about making people uncomfortable, you may unintentionally contribute to normalizing its absence.
Now, think about other important issues like climate change, eco-friendly wedding considerations, sustainable weddings, reallocating the wedding budget to cherished charities, supporting local businesses, and fostering personal connections. Your wedding is a pinnacle moment in your life and an opportunity to add depth and value to your day, your guests, and the world.
Conclusion
Staying true to your values on your wedding day can elevate it to another level, but it doesn’t need to be stressful, or detract from the enjoyment of the day. Most of the decisions and actions just require a little extra thought in the planning. Weddings can make a difference – either by demonstrating what’s important to you, or directly through sustainable choices. And in my case, if I’m your celebrant I’ll take the load off your shoulders by listening to what’s important to you, supporting you with ideas that are authentic reflection of who you are – and ones that will add deeper meaning to your amazing wedding celebration.
