Tuesday, June 12, 2007

The Rise of "Look at Me" Weddings

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday published a column by Betsy Hart of Scripps Howard News Service about the stunts couples pull at their wedding to make sure attention remains on them, no doubt inspired by this video, referenced in the article:




And, by far my favorite item in the column:

"Another wedding featured a surprise performance from the groom and
groomsmen serenading the bride with a choreographed song from "The Little
Mermaid" in frog and lobster costumes."

I do agree that some couple go way too far when planning these performances. But I don't think there's anything wrong with adding a certain amount of creativity to a wedding reception. Incorporating unique elements can lead to a fun event for guests as well as the bride and groom...and make the day a truly "special" one for all involved.

I also think her logic is a bit misplaced when it comes to destination weddings. Ms. Hart feels these represent another "'all about me' trend." While certainly some couple may be misguided in asking all of their guests to travel for these weddings, I think this rising trend also results from the fact that brides and grooms today less often come from the same hometown and sometimes neither lives there. With the majority of guests travelling anyway, they choose a dream location for the event. Still other couples choose a destination wedding and limit their guest list to a small group of family and friends--sometimes saving money over a large hometown wedding.

In another look at spoiled brides, check out Emily Yoffe's "The Bride From Hell" on Slate.

And my parting words of advice to couples: do not ever tell your guests what color clothes they can wear to your wedding.

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