Saturday, February 28, 2009

Can I get an Amen?!?!?

So, I attended a bridal shower today, and it will take me several days to recover from this event. No, I'm not hung over. In fact, I didn't have a single sip of wine. By recover, I mean the shaking off of the toxic sludge which the Wedding Industrial Complex oozes by the gallon.

I found this piece in today's Globe and Mail to be timely and completely in synch with my feelings on the subject of grand weddings.

If I may be so bold, I'd like to quote the author, Leah McLaren:

The thing that has always shocked me most about many newly engaged couples is the level of pretense required to fit into the Hallmark-approved idea of romance.

This starts with the proposal, in which he "asks" and she pretends to be "surprised." Then there is the engagement, in which she becomes suddenly obsessed by trivialities like napkin colours while he rolls his eyes indulgently and makes lame jokes like: "Just tell me where to show up."

Then there is the social permission it gives otherwise sane, polite people to behave like spoiled celebrities, the ridiculous, narcissistic "princess-for-a-day" clichés and finally the unfettered materialism that turns so many otherwise happy celebrations into garish cake shows.

Suffice to say, I have some issues - not with all weddings (I have been to some very nice ones), but with the ghastly wedding machine.


Amen, Sister Leah.

A-frikking-men!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have to agree. Simple and elegent is much nicer (and less stressful for all) than weddings that cost a small fortune.

Elizabeth

Rose said...

And yours was simple, elegant, and fun, Elizabeth! AND you're still married! How 'bout that!

Anonymous said...

Amen.