Because the economy ain’t sh*t, I ended up working as a Bridal Consultant–a fancy term used for people who sling wedding gowns to bright-eyed and delusional brides. A few months into this job, I was slapped with the harsh reality that weddings are the equivalent to manufactured holidays like Valentine’s Day–placing price tags on pretty things to prove your love to someone else.
I had a lot of time to insert myself in one of the most important times of a woman’s life–her wedding. There was always trust and they’d share their plans–some so lavish, I couldn’t believe they’d only wear the dress once even though I knew that was the way it went. The amount of time, energy and money that’s placed on a day is insane once you look at it on paper. The receipts add up and you see women trying to compete with Kim Kardashian’s sponsored soiree. But for the weddings that were thoughtful and intimate, it reminded me of why they wanted to do it in the first place. It was simple enough to see the bond clearly. That’s the kind I want now–which is essentially a plan lol, but not quite the same production. I still want to be treated like a princess on that special day, but I’ve just let go of the over-the-top Disney princess plan.
Deborah Bennett:
You’d think that with the history of marriage and current divorce rates that women would realize marriage is not a real life Lifetime movie. Some would argue that if you’re in a fulfilled relationship and you really love each other why not take it to the next level? I think in a lot of ways it’s a security thing for women, and also because women still tend to be romantic and dream of living happily ever after.
I would like to get married one day but I’m not going out of my way to try and find a guy to marry, or obsess over it on Pinterest/Facebook.
