Monday, September 20, 2010

There was a wedding...

this weekend. It was for the daughter of one of the owners of my company. I am SURE my invitation got lost in the mail.....

Right.

Anyway, some of the girls at work were talking about it today. How beautiful it was. How pretty the bride looked. How each of the 25 tables of 12 had giant center pieces made of live, tropical flowers, How it was all outside, yet, it was made to look like it was inside. Top shelf liquor, open bar. The usual you would come to expect from someone who just recently sold a company he was holding, back to the original owner, after saving it from closure, for 40 million. As a "favor" to his friend. And didn't blink an eye.

When I started this post, I had a point. I'm not so sure what it was now....Opulence, Maybe? Yeah, that could be it. Bee's brother is getting married in October. The bride to be is trying to keep it simple. Keep it cheap, but still nice. I heard her say, "If it wasn't for PopRocks and "M" playing all those shows every weekend, we would be starting our marriage $20,000.00 in debt." . To that I say, "Holy shit!"

I've never planned a wedding. I've never been engaged. But, I can not see spending anywhere close to that amount of money on an event. Listen, I LOVE Bee. On our wedding day (if it ever comes), I want people looking as us and the love we have for one another, not the gigantic live centerpieces flown in from Hawaii. It's Ohio. Even in the summer, it's Ohio. I want a nice dress, but I can't see spending more than $300 and that's saying something for me. I want a simple church wedding, only flowers will be the bouquet I am holding, and maybe on the alter as a thank-offering. Center Pieces? Yeah, I have a hot glue gun. I'll think of something :) I realize it's a party, and those cost money, but really, I don't think it needs to cost thousands of dollars. Since when does promising your eternal devotion to someone require a 2nd mortgage on a house you haven't bought yet?

I was telling Bee the other day how one of the girls in my office bought a necklace to wear with the dress she got for the owner's daughter's wedding. It was $150.00 and looked like a three layer bike chain. Seriously. I remember thinking, "Oh honey, I have something that looks just like that in my garage...and I'll give it to you for free!" Do you know what I could do with $150.00? I could do a lot, let's put it that way, and here is someone who didn't bat an eyelash at that price tag. I just don't get it.

Then again, I've never been one for labels. In fact, the only thing I will say that I buy "name brand" is kotex and shampoo/conditioner, and don't think I haven't tried to go generic on those either. It never ends well, but don't think that doesn't stop me from trying it again every so many years...

Bee is like that with Ketchup. We had the "ketchup is ketchup" discussion the other day at the store. I was getting things for our Labor day cookout. One of the items on the list was ketchup. Now, I normally don't care one way or another, but we were desperately trying to keep the cost of this shindig to a minimum, so I grabbed the "Great Value Ketchup" and the shriek that came out of him was reminiscent of a cat being run over by a bus.
"Bay-bee!, you can't skimp on the Ketchup! It's Heinz or nothing at all!" I didn't realize I was dating such a ketchup snob. I would have fought him, but my mother piped in, "Yeah! Just like your father..anything to save a buck" Oooookkkk, well, someone has to, big spender...

Wow, I really did have a point, long long ago...

I guess what makes love so strong is how you balance each other out. Like they say, too much of a good thing, isn't always so good!

2 comments:

Amander said...

Yeah, I don't really understand the extravagence with weddings these days. I want a nice one, but the more important thing is the MARRIAGE not the WEDDING.

Sarah said...

I agree. Some of my favorite weddings that I have ever gone to are the simplest, and probably the least expensive. Your ideas sound just right. :)