Good Example Of Marriage Across Two Generations Biography

In 1940, my grandparents were married in Puerto Rico, by a judge in a simple ceremony. By the 1970s, when my naturalized American parents were married, there was a large marriage ceremony and reception, with many family members, friends, and even acquaintances as guests. These two different marriages shed light on the differences as well as similarities between two generations, separated by more than three decades. Whereas love and respect for the institution of marriage were the common bond of both marriages, the differences between the two generations can be primarily attributed to available financial resources.
When my grandparents were married in Puerto Rico in 1940, they had very little financial resources. Thus, they could not afford a large wedding with the traditional features, such as expensive formalwear, gold wedding bands, and a large reception with a lot of guests. Moreover, the Puerto Rican economy was still reeling from the Great Depression. Thus, not only were my grandparents financially strapped in Puerto Rico, but their surrounding economic circumstances were also grim. Lastly, although the United States had yet to declare war on Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Nazis had invaded Poland and other European countries, setting the momentum for World War II. Globally speaking, the world was about to plunge into the depths of battle after battle against the Axis powers. However, my grandparents loved each other very much, and their love endured, despite their inauspicious beginnings. By the 1970s, my parents -- who were also born and raised in Puerto Rico, but immigrated to America in their teens -- had some money, and things became better in both Puerto Rico and the US, as well as the world, both politically and economically. Thus, they could afford a more lavish wedding ceremony and reception, with all of the accouterments. Those days were more prosperous for my parents, and they spared no expense in accommodating their many guests.
My grandparents were native Puerto Ricans, and placed a high value on the sanctity of marriage. That is, they believed that one should be devoted to one's partner for a lifetime, that marriage was a lifetime decision. They loved each other, but made little money as farmers. A simple marriage before a judge made sense to them, as they had very little money.
On the other hand, my parents are naturalized Americans who had not only assimilated to American wedding and marriage traditions, but their financial comfort level was high enough to allow them to enjoy some aspects of a traditional Puerto Rican wedding, characterized by many, many guests. Nonetheless, like my grandparents, they were raised to believe in the sanctity and permanence of a marriage. Thus, my parents and grandparents shared the same values.
Finally, while both my grandparents and parents shared a mutual bond of love and a devotion to each other that was the key to the success of their respective marriages, the idea and experience of marriage was very different for both generations. Whereas my grandparents were in the midst of a global economic crisis and had little money of their own, my parents were much better off, and could afford a large celebratory wedding. Lastly, my parents, who are first-generation immigrants, were very comfortable in their new country, and their marriage ceremony was a reflection of their commitment to each other, as well as their feelings of acceptance in their new American home.