# Biden shouldn't have a crowded inauguration party **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 8, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-shouldnt-have-a-crowded-inauguration-party/925054 "2020-11-08T14:42:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-shouldnt-have-a-crowded-inauguration-party/925054/21 "2020-11-09T02:51:07Z")
It is. I’ve been to two of those. I mean, not super-fancy weddings, but “we had to get legally married previously, but now we’d like to celebrate with you, our friends” events." ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-shouldnt-have-a-crowded-inauguration-party/925054/22 "2020-11-09T03:04:07Z")
Having a wedding reception later is fine, especially if you couldn’t do the big public (perhaps church) ceremony. But having the big ceremony much later, after you were already married in a civil ceremony, is wrong. Basically it’s a performance. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2020, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-shouldnt-have-a-crowded-inauguration-party/925054/23 "2020-11-09T03:12:42Z")
I went to one that was in a church, with a minister. Technically, they renewed their vows, I guess. The minister certainly acknowledged that they were already married. But it was important to them to make vows in public, in front of their friends and family. I don’t see anything inappropriate about that. I feel that marriage is a public status, and making vows in public is meaningful. Hmm, actually, I can think of two more such events that I’ve attended. So I guess I’ve been to 4. The weirdest was the one where half the guests were gay and the couple apologized for having gotten legally married (privately, by a JP) when they knew that many of their friends could ONLY have the sort of ceremony they were having. (This was before same-sex marriage was legal, of course.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-shouldnt-have-a-crowded-inauguration-party/925054.md?page=1)