I had always wanted a small, private wedding.

The words of Vatsal Sheth—“I had always wanted a small, private wedding.”—speak with a purity that is rare in an age of spectacle. They remind us that the essence of union is not in the gathering of the multitude, nor in the grandeur of feasts, but in the quiet sanctity of love sealed before those who matter most. A small, private wedding is not a lesser celebration, but a greater one, for it protects love from the noise of the world and roots it in sincerity.

This desire for intimacy is as ancient as marriage itself. In the early days of mankind, weddings were not displays for crowds, but sacred covenants whispered before family, sealed with shared bread and fire. It is only in later ages that men, enamored with wealth and fame, clothed their vows in pomp. Yet through the ages, wise souls have remembered that the truest strength of a bond lies not in the applause of strangers, but in the blessings of kin and the quiet witness of the heart.

Consider the example of Mahatma Gandhi, whose marriage at a young age was marked not by grandeur, but by simplicity. Though later he would become a figure of worldwide reverence, his union was rooted in the ordinary customs of his community. From such modest beginnings arose a life that shaped the destiny of nations. So too does Sheth’s wish remind us that greatness does not demand spectacle; what begins in simplicity may yet echo through eternity.

The longing for a private wedding also speaks to the sacredness of love itself. Love is a flame, and while it can warm many, it burns most steadily when shielded from the winds of excess attention. To guard it in a smaller circle is to honor its fragility, to declare that what matters most is not the eyes that see the union, but the souls that live within it.

Thus, O listener, let this be a teaching: in a world eager for noise and grandeur, seek instead the power of the intimate. To desire a small wedding is not to lessen the sanctity of the union, but to magnify it, for it strips away all that is unnecessary and leaves only what is eternal—love, trust, and the silent presence of those who bless it with their hearts.