The Bridal Show

Let me first say that my goal with the upcoming wedding in my life is to be as low key as possible. While I know it is a big day, I realize it is not the end all day in my life and thus should not be taken too serriously (you know freaking out over the place settings, making the bridesmaids wear matching shoes, or letting wedding planning take over one's life). Really I'm most interested in planning the liturgy for the cermony (I know this makes me a pastor dork for sure). But, I have already realized that there are many forces surrounding my life which want me to act differently.

Last Saturday was a good example of this. I got home from the Christmas holidays only to find two free invitations to bridal shows in the area. It was the strangest thing, "How did 'they' know I was engaged?" I wondered.

Because one show happened to be in the area of town where Kevin lives, I asked him if he would mind going with me. I had heard that these events are a great opportunity to get free food, win cool door prizes and maybe even multi-task on wedding planning. I was looking forward to a low-key afternoon . . .

Yet, what I found was an entirely different scenario altogether. When we walked into the hotel and followed the signs to the downtown stairs ballroom, Kevin and I were quickly herded into a line almost a mile long. Soon there after, we were given registration cards to fill out and given stickers to wear. The stickers were perphaps my favorite part. Mine said VIB (very important bride) and Kevin's said VIG (very important groom). I wanted to throw up right then and there. I realize the point to this madness was to quickly idenitify us as "clients" to the venders. But, nonetheless, it was a bit too dramatic for my tastes.

People watching was at its best during the 30 minutes that it took us to make it the front of the line. There were the hyper brides, the ones that came with huge dayplanners that looked like they were going on job interviews. There were the prepy brides, the ones that looked like this event was going to be the fulfillment of their life's mission, dressed to the nines complete with pearls and all. And, there were the brides that looks relived to just be there-- the kind that you knew must have been dating their fiancée for years and were just happy to have finally gotten a ring.

The show itself was a zoo. Kevin noticed that only two venders talked to him even though he was a VIG: the male ballroom dance instructor and the bank consultant trying to sell us a house. Thus, proving after all that bridal shows are indeed about all about the bride.

I don't know if it is possible to have a worshipful sense to wedding planning, which values such ideals as simplicity and kindness to all involved, but I'm going to strive for these things. The most important thing to me about the wedding is that it will affirm our families and all the other wonderful people in our lives. So, I don't think we'll be going to another bridal show anytime soon. We're still tired from Saturday. Plus, as of now, I haven't heard that we won a free trip to Hawaii or Fiji yet (what a bummer).