We're now in the month of August and right in the thick of wedding season and I've got to say, I'd love to see a poll done by Statistics Canada on what percentage of the population have empty wallets by Labour Day weekend thanks to over-the-top celebrations of holy matrimony.
Since when did weddings go from an elegant, intimate affair to a months-long festival of parties, cocktail hours, dinners and weekend trips leading up to the big day itself?
In my eyes, weddings are ridiculous nowadays because the entire purpose of the occasion - the bride and groom's eternal love for one another-is suffocated beneath haute couture bridesmaids gowns, three wedding showers, six-tier cakes, froo-froo floral displays that cost an arm and a leg, a burgeoning guest list that could sink the Titanic and other unnecessary nonsense that has absolutely nothing to do with the bride and groom's relationship at all.
Somewhere along the sands of time, a wedding and the marriage that follows it have become separated from each other, the latter being the less-exciting "next 60 years" that succeeds the former's extravagant showmanship.
It seems like weddings serve as no more than a purpose to outdo someone else's: you've got to have the best photographer, your wedding party has to be as big as the Von Trapp family but be dressed like wealthy celebrities and why have one engagement party when you can have two? Just cast one off as the "informal" one, "something we threw together last second". Invites for the formal party of 200 with its own gift registry to follow.
Oh yes, that's another thing that's in. Having two separate gift registries, one for the engagement and one for the wedding. And having two bachelorettes, one for just close friends, one for everyone and their dentist. And having a bridal shower separated from a wedding shower, because apparently there's a difference.
Is it not incredibly insensitive and rude, as the bride and groom, to ask guests to spend this much money on them? Is it not overtly greedy and materialistic? They're already paying for the hotel and flight and wedding gift for the wedding itself, so how come it seems that even the nicest, most sensible and rational of all couples suddenly become selfish little divas caught with a bad case of the "gimmes gimmes" as soon as the man slides on the engagement ring.
I've decided to have three bank accounts; one is my chequing account, one is my barely-touched savings account and one is my wedding fund account, which I'll automatically transfer money into for each wedding invite I get; I'll know to use save-the-date invitations I receive as a countdown to my empty, musty wallet.
I'm not a frugal person by any means, but I am a romantic. And I wish weddings could remain a lovely send-off for couples into marriage as opposed to the matrimonial addition of keeping up with the Joneses. CM
