The Wedding Industrial Complex
Before I was engaged, I heard of a bride who was rebelling against the, “wedding industrial complex” – sending out evites rather than actual invitations, having her reception at a brewery, passing out drink tokens rather than having an open bar, registering at Amazon.com rather than a brick and mortar store, etc. I didn’t really understand her point of view until I planned my own wedding and began coming into contact with more brides.
It is true – little girls dream of their wedding day from an early age, wearing pillow cases as veils and their mothers’ shoes in mock weddings. The commercial world knows this, and has capitalized on it – BIG TIME. Everything is more expensive when a wedding is involved. If you call a reception hall and tell them you’re having a retirement party, you’ll be quoted one price – if it is a wedding, it is another price which is much higher. Invitations for a housewarming party are twenty cents a piece, but invitations for a wedding are a dollar a piece.
And brides have taken it – hook, line and sinker. Media tells us that we need to have a “Platinum Wedding” and that we should “Say Yes to the Dress.” You are the princess for the day, and you are the only one who matters. As long as THE BRIDE feels beautiful and everything is as THE BRIDE would want it, it is perfect. What does this result in? The bride spending much more money on things that she cares about, and others get the shaft.
What about the groom? What about the guests? Our society is experiencing a wave of women who don’t care about anyone but themselves on their wedding day. What a great way to start a marriage – selfishly planning a huge wedding which will cost over $20K and ONLY thinking of yourself. It is NOT just your day – it is the groom’s day as well. And the guests deserve consideration, after all, they are giving you gifts and some have even traveled long distances to be there.
Brides need to get back to what really matters – at the end of the day, whether she was wearing a $5,000 dress or a $500 dress, whether the invitations had gold leaf or were printed at Kinkos, whether you spent $20,000 or $2,000, you are married to the man of your dreams and you can begin your life together. Don’t begin your marriage by being a bridezilla and putting yourself into debt because you had to have your “platinum wedding.”
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