The 2000 Dollar Budget Wedding blog is all about cutting back on expenses but making the most of your big day to celebrate the important things in life. I liked this post so much, I decided to just include the whole thing! It’s called Staying Focused on What a Wedding is All About, and I think a reminder now and then is always good!
I still get messages from The Knot, despite the fact that my wedding is over and they are trying to nudge me into The Nest.
Here’s today’s depressing insight into the Wedding Industrial Complex:
“Congratulations! Now that you’ve tied the knot, we want to hear all about it. Your style, your colors, the size of your bridal party — fill us in! Take a few moments and share the details of your special day with us!”
Don’t get me wrong. The Knot is a useful resource in several different ways, but this preoccupation with the style and colors of a wedding detracts from what a wedding is really about. I wish they had asked: Now that you’ve tied the knot, we want to hear all about it. How you fostered community and connection, how you chose to express your commitment, and how much fun you had with your nearest and dearest — fill us in!
I know it’s hard when you’re immersed in the wedding planning process, but it is so important to stay grounded in what a wedding is really about. If we lose sight of that, we’re at risk for turning into robotic brides like the one featured in the sticker above on a package to my friend (Editor’s Note: You can purchase your own facetious bridal stickers at the Dollar Store.) I still get messages from The Knot, despite the fact that my wedding is over and they are trying to nudge me into The Nest.
Here’s today’s depressing insight into the Wedding Industrial Complex:
“Congratulations! Now that you’ve tied the knot, we want to hear all about it. Your style, your colors, the size of your bridal party — fill us in! Take a few moments and share the details of your special day with us!”
Don’t get me wrong. The Knot is a useful resource in several different ways, but this preoccupation with the style and colors of a wedding detracts from what a wedding is really about. I wish they had asked: Now that you’ve tied the knot, we want to hear all about it. How you fostered community and connection, how you chose to express your commitment, and how much fun you had with your nearest and dearest — fill us in!
I know it’s hard when you’re immersed in the wedding planning process, but it is so important to stay grounded in what a wedding is really about. If we lose sight of that, we’re at risk for turning into robotic brides like the one featured in the sticker above on a package to my friend (Editor’s Note: You can purchase your own facetious bridal stickers at the Dollar Store.)
Along the same lines, a post I saw on Manolo Brides called “Letting Go of Perfect.” Twistie’s words of wisdom are: Forget Perfect! “Shoot for elegant or fun or meaningful. Not only are all three of those things possible, they’re the sort of words people are going to use anyway. Besides, you’re the only one who will ever notice whether or not the martinis perfectly match the bridesmaid’s dresses.”
She contrasts two different brides from an episode of Whose Wedding Is It, Anyway? The first bride (groom didn’t have much to say about the planning) wanted the perfect wedding. She was obsessed with purple and everything had to be the exact, perfect shade of purple. On her wedding day she was a nervous wreck who burst into tears about everything, and then worried that the tears would ruin her make up. The second couple were delighted by everything their planner did and at their wedding lived totally in the moment. “They were relaxed, gracious, and having a hell of a good time.”
You can read the whole entry at Manolo. I suggest you do. Because, really, which bride do YOU want to be??
Gorgeous bridesmaid photo compliments of The Knot, of course! You gotta love those wedding photos even if you don’t have money like that to spend!