For most people, hugging and kissing your significant other in front of your parents is an awkward balance to strike. Can you cuddle when watching a film? Is a kiss goodbye too much?
Most people tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to PDA and parents, but Vea Laulu, from Hawaii, took it to a new level and didn’t kiss her husband on their wedding day out of respect for her parents.
The 21-year-old mum was marrying her husband Mana, but because she is Tongan, she saw the public display of affection as disrespectful, especially to her father.
Speaking to UNILAD, Vea explained why she didn’t kiss her husband:
Well I’m Tongan and in my culture it’s just disrespectful to show any type of PDA (public displays of affection) in front of family or friends but the main person I thought about was my dad. Plus it was just weird to me.
I’ve never showed PDA in front of him and I wasn’t about to try at my wedding.
My dad probably would have felt weird about it, I don’t want to test the waters.
Vea said the response on Twitter was ‘okay’ and didn’t affect her, even if some people were criticising her, with one saying “that’s not right”.
One commenter wrote:
Daddy raised you right – congrats and best wishes.
Another said:
I seriously enjoy watching you guys. Congrats.
The video shows Vea adorably give her new husband a kiss on the cheek and then an apologetic hand to the camera. It’s all very innocent and sweet, you can tell she’s just being very respectful.
Talking about her husband’s response to not being kissed on their wedding day, Vea said:
My husband was fine with me not wanting to kiss him in front of my dad, he understood why and respected it. My culture pretty much revolves around respect.
Explaining Tongan culture regarding PDA, Vea said:
I was taught to respect my elders especially my parents. I don’t show PDA in front of my family as a sign of respect. To show that my parents raised me right.
I can be grown and have my own family and life but I will never disrespect my parents.
Tonga is a Polynesian culture and an archipelago of one hundred fifty islands, thirty-six of which are inhabited. The islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, directly south of Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand.
Congratulations to Vea and Manu on their wedding, and I’m sure he got a wedding kiss after everyone went home.
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