Alone at the Altar

There are times when a person realizes just before the wedding ceremony that they could be making the biggest mistake of their life, so they walk away. Many of them do it without explaining their actions to anyone, and they leave behind a church full of stunned guests and a jilted former partner. Being alone at the altar can be devastating, and facing the guests when it happens might drop a person into a deep pit of depression. While they might not realize it at the time, a partner who would walk away at that point is not really someone they should marry anyway.

It can be frightening to face the wedding day, but those who know their partner will support them through the ceremony can go through with the ceremony. Even if they are shaking in fear, their soon-to-be spouse will make it easier by their presence alone. Those who choose to run away are deserting their family, friends, and even the person who loves them most in the world. It is a selfish act in many cases, and it is one that can destroy the person they agreed to spend a lifetime loving when they became engaged.

The person left at the altar will often find that their own family and friends are not their only support, and even the other person’s loved ones will do their best to help them through the aftermath. Everyone will likely be shocked by the actions of the person who left, and they will feel sympathetic to the one remaining.

It is socially unacceptable to desert a partner at the altar, and there have been times when a person jilted has taken action through the local court system. While this might be nothing more than revenge, it is a step in the direction of recovering from a difficult emotional event.