1 hour ago
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It’s a dodgy tradition but tricky to avoid, advises our Modern Guru.
Q: I don’t want my dad to walk me down the aisle for my wedding. I find the whole concept of someone transferring ownership of me to another person repulsive. I know he won’t take it well. How do I explain that I’m a self-made woman who can walk herself anywhere she wants in this world (much to his credit)? C.F., Woolloomooloo, NSW
A: A father walking his daughter down the aisle is such a standard wedding cliché, many of us don’t realise how dodgy this tradition actually is – that the father is handing his daughter over to a new owner like she’s a second-hand car or a used fridge that works fine, just a slightly worn door seal and it struggles making ice cubes. You’re absolutely right, the concept is repulsive. It turns a wedding into a Gumtree marketplace and you’re the listed item: reasonable condition, minor scratches, drop-off only.
But how do you explain this repulsiveness without breaking your old-fashioned, cliché-loving dad’s heart? Do it the exact same way you explained it to me. Your question was so perfectly and passionately worded, you should just read it out to him verbatim – in which case, you’ve answered your own question and I should probably hand over my column fee, but you said you don’t approve of ownership transfers, so I won’t – out of respect.
