As girls it is only natural to say that we have envisioned our wedding since the moment we understood what marriage actually was. As I’ve grown up, I have come to realize that not all people value weddings in the same way. Some value weddings for its true meaning in regards to love and commitment, however, some value weddings for its value in regards to expenses. Watching television shows such as “Bridezillas”, “Say Yes To The Dress” and “Four Weddings” has inspirited me to investigate and analyze weddings in today’s pop culture. The deep meaning of a wedding is the commitment and relationship between the couple and the love each person has for one another. The competition comes down to the bride’s dresses, the venue, the location, the decorations, etc. After much thinking I have come to the conclusion that it is important for young girls and brides-to-be to understand that the best wedding does not mean the most expensive wedding.
The craziness of weddings starts with the proposal and engagement ring. I’ve seen YouTube videos, pictures on Facebook and heard countless stories about the most extreme wedding proposals. In fact, I recently saw one YouTube video that followed a bride-to-be. This woman traveled around New York City going from flash mob to flash mob in order to find her future husband. Once she found her husband he proposed through song and dance while exchanging what looked like a very expensive engagement ring. If that proposal doesn’t scream extravagant I’m not sure what does.
Next comes the wedding dress. Shows such as “Say Yes To The Dress” teach women that the more expensive the dress, the better. I have seen women purchase dresses costing up to $25,000 dollars. (This is equivalent to a car, a down payment on a house or a year of state college. You get the point). Of course, like anyone, each bride wants to look incredible at her wedding. When it comes down to it, at the end of the day, no one cares how much the dress costs or what designer she purchased her gown from. The bride is bound to look beautiful regardless of the price or the designer of the dress.
It is not uncommon for brides to find the most extravagant venues to have their wedding. For example, some couples have their weddings in tropical locations. I’m not trying to degrade this because I think it is a great idea, however, I think that this might take away from the wedding reception itself. If I were at a wedding like this I think I would be admiring the beach as opposed to the vows being exchanged between the bride and groom.
I know some may be reading this and think that I’m analyzing this “wedding extravaganza” phenomenon way too much. My response is that the true meaning of a wedding is slowly getting lost in the competition between brides. It is important to understand that the true love within each wedding needs to outshine the extravagant venue or wedding dress. In 50 years no one will remember what kind of dress you wore or where the wedding was. The only important memories will be the love shared between the couple on the wedding day.