There was a time when I would sign onto my Facebook and scroll through the lists of statuses to see who was “in a relationship” and who was recently “single.” Facebook stalking not only included who looked cute or terrible in their profile picture, but also who was dating whom. It was like a game.
Well, not anymore.
As a college junior soon to be senior, coming closer to the “real world”, more and more people I know have crossed the invisible threshold from “in a relationship” to “engaged.” Since when did dating become real life? Apparently, sooner than I thought.
I guess that’s a part of growing up. After college graduation, marriage seems like the most logical step. With no more bat mitzvahs, sweet 16’s, or 21st birthdays to celebrate, young adults, particularly women, are becoming infatuated with weddings. And the media is feeding this obsession.
I’m not going to lie, I’m one of those girls that feed into this dress obsessing, cake decorating frenzy. David Tutera’s wedding planning skills match up to that of Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, and I already know what silhouette I want my dress to be. I also could plan ten weddings based on my pins on my Pinterest wedding board. And I know I’m not alone.
Do I think I’m ready? Heck no. But it’s just comforting to know that when that time comes, I’ll be ready. Junior Kari Shore, an avid Say Yes to the Dress watcher, agrees. Shore and her roommate watch because it’s fun.
“We like looking at the dresses and comparing them to what we think we will want to buy. It helps to figure out what we think is cute or not,” said Shore.
Though starry-eyed by the idea of marriage, Shore doesn’t see herself getting married for another five years, at least. “After we have careers established,” she added.
Let’s face it. Like Kari and I, many women know we probably won’t get married anytime soon. In fact, there was even a study showing that the marriage age is steadily climbing.
So, is college the only thing holding us back from making a break for the alter? Not quite. Jason Carroll of Brigham Young University polled college students between the years of 2004 and 2005 asking the question, “Do you think you are ready to be married?” Surprisingly, 67% of those college women said no.
Whether you are into this love-filled bliss or not, the question remains: why are so many young women buying into this wedding propaganda if they are still waiting to tie the knot?
Genelle Williams, G&B blogger, thinks that the obsession with marriage is just because of how our society has framed marriage. It’s not so much about love as it is being the center of attention, trying on pretty dresses, and having a perfectly orchestrated cocktail hour.
“Traditional questions like ‘How did you guys meet?’ and ‘Was it love at first site?’ have been replaced with ‘What was the theme of your wedding?’ and ‘what did your dress look like?” she states.
Personally, I think it’s a combination of everything: love, media, hype, pretty dresses, etc. But is that so wrong?
As a career driven woman myself, I question these ideas. I’ve found that the root of my obsession is not just the planning, but the deeper meaning. All of the dress shopping, planning, and attention are happening because something good is about to happen in your life. It’s beautiful and something to be celebrated. At the same time, we can go too far. Sometimes us veil, shoe, and something blue wedding cravers need to take a deep breath and maybe sit a few hypothetical dress fittings out.
As long as you don’t walk down the aisle sans groom, I think a little passion for weddings never hurt anyone.
I’d much rather sift through wedding dresses instead of studying for that final, anyway. A girl can dream, can’t she?