Setting: Lyn’s home. She is baking, bench top is covered in flour, measuring cups, rolling pin, and so forth. Lyn is late twenties. Neighbor Janet is early thirties.

Janet: Hi?

Lyn: Come in, Janet. I’m in the kitchen. Sorry it’s a mess.

Janet: Smells good in here. What are you making?

Lyn: Communion bread.

Janet: Again? This week? Looks like I’m going to [insert name of nearby church] then. They’ve got a kids program on.

Lyn: You’re not keen on communion?

Janet: Nah. All that routine ceremony, and everyone stuffed into suits. And the wine’s usually tart, and the bread’s pasty—not yours, I mean.

Lyn: Come along and try mine then.

Janet: The bits are too little to make it worthwhile. Anyway, it’s all just symbolic. And who needs symbols when you’ve got the real thing? That’s what Andrew says, anyway. (Plonks photo album on bench.) I brought the photos—I thought they might help you with ideas.

Lyn: Oh great, show me (finishing the last tray, and cleaning her hands.)

Janet: These are getting ready.

Lyn: Is that your parents’ place? It’s lovely. Janet: Yeah, they did it up just for the wedding. Not that anything else happened there, mind you, but it’s those little touches that make it special.

Lyn: Your dress, is that—

Janet: —silk.

Lyn: It’s beautiful.

Janet: I could have got one a lot cheaper, but I decided to go for the best. Same with the flower girls.

Lyn: I don’t know that I can afford to spend that much—

Janet: Look, it’s your wedding. It’s all these little things that make it a special day.

Lyn: Andrew looks smart.

Janet: Yeah. He was going to get one of those hire suits, but I said "You can hardly be in a hundred-dollar suit when I’m in a seven thousand dollar dress." So we got this tailored one. We still get good use out of them, though. We dress up in them every anniversary, and kind of make a little ceremony out of it.

Lyn: I love the church. What is it?

Janet: It’s an old Anglican one near home. Perfect atmosphere for a wedding.

Lyn: Putting on the ring. (Taking Janet’s hand.) Give me a look.

Janet: I’m really proud of my ring. It’s not just the diamonds, you know. Every time I touch it I remember him saying "I love you."

Lyn: Why, doesn’t he tell you anymore?

Janet: Of course he does! He’s still very romantic; still brings me flowers, and he’s taking me out to dinner tonight. But that’s the point. It all means something extra special because he loves me. You’ll know what I mean once you’re married.

Lyn: Yeah, married.

Janet: What’s that supposed to mean?

Lyn: Oh, all this wedding business, you know…

Janet: What?

Lyn: Well, all the rigmarole, it’s so stressful that, well, Simon and me were just wondering if it’s worth all the bother and expense. We were thinking of maybe just a registry office, or even just eloping. We’d be just as married, without all that ceremony.

Janet: Don’t be silly! That’s what makes it special.

Lyn: Yeah, but everyone’s getting married in churches with flowers and rings and music. It’s a bit meaningless.

Janet: Go on! It’s not meaningless—it’s symbolic, that’s why everyone does it. Look, Lyn, take it from me. If you want a good marriage, you’re going to have to have something like that in it from time to time.

Lyn: You think so?

Janet: Of course I do! That’s why we’re going out to dinner tonight. Which reminds me, I’d better go and get ready. Listen to me: take a good hard look at those photos, and then plan a special wedding for yourself.

Lyn: OK, then. See you at church.

Janet: OK—oh, we won’t be there, remember. It’s communion.

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