There are few things better in life than the idea of commitment. From the time we were young girls and dressed up fantasizing our “dream wedding,” the idea of an amazing future with the perfect man was implanted into our heads. We search our entire lives to find our “soul-mate,” that one person who will ultimately complete us and make our days worth living. Let me tell you, as a 20-year-old college student, there’s nothing that frightens me more about the prospect of the future. And there are few things that bother me more than when a girl dives into the details of her future, dream wedding.
No really, this needs to be said. If I hear about another cliché dream wedding a girl has been planning since her first birthday, I might scream. How on Earth did you even know what a wedding was on your first birthday? If you want to talk about your amazing boyfriend and how happy you two are, I’m all ears. But can we just take two seconds to understand that you’re not Kimmy K and will not be exhausting a nation’s yearly budget on your wedding? Let’s be realistic, ladies.
I want to blame Disney princesses so badly. Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Ariel… I’m on to you. You lovely ladies experienced love at first sight, were swept off your, and before you knew it, you were married and lived “happily ever after” with complete strangers. Where is the relationship conflict, the compromise of key issues, the realness of a relationship… hell, where is the first date?! Maybe I should blame celebrity culture. Kim Kardashian (can you tell I’m really not a fan of her?) had her wedding televised… and then was divorced 72 days later. Because the first broadcasted wedding went so well (*eyeroll*), she is now in the works of televising her next wedding with Kanye West. Her first wedding casually knocked her back a cool ten million dollars. Chances the next one is that expensive? 100%.
Let’s just admit that Disney and celebrity weddings are a fantasy. But they tempt us. They are the outlet that lets us deal with our lives, especially in these times of economic difficulty. We deeply wish for something to make sense, for something to finally be as perfect as we have always hoped. Weddings provide this for us.
Listen, maybe this is a little harsh, but someone has to say it. Dresses and frilly, lacey, beaded, sparkly things are fun. I agree and I love dressing up as much as the next girl. I’m not saying don’t imagine your wedding at all, but could we cool it just a little? Yes, it’s the “big day” and it is certainly an important and memorable one. But the wedding industry has morphed our views of love in a fairly negative way. If the grown-up woman is a “princess,” what message is she portraying to her groom about the basis of their marriage? That she needs to be rescued, pampered, and the “damsel in distress?” Anyone see the problem here?
If a woman wants a marriage with a partner who respects her as an equal, the wedding industry dream puts her in a very different situation. Perhaps brides and grooms should ignore the wedding industry more often and thoughtfully celebrate their wedding in a way that expresses their own love for one another.
Photo Sources:
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