Don’t Blame The Wedding Industry
There has been quite a debate sparked since a slot on Radio 4’s Today programme in their ‘thought for the day’ slot. Do let us have your views on this controversial subject, as discussed in the article below in the Guardian.
Rebecca Mead says she agrees with the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, who claimed on Radio 4’s Thought for The Day that weddings have become “overblown, narcissistic productions” and that such ceremonies have “become a threat to marriage itself” (Princess for a day, 7 August).
Mead uses Chelsea Clinton as an example to back up her argument. However, I thought Chelsea looked beautiful: she’s the ex-US president’s daughter, so of course her wedding was going to be over the top! Yes, some brides do put themselves under undue pressure to look their best, to have the most talked-about wedding, to have the most expensive venue. But when that same bride has a baby, or moves house, she’ll be equally obsessive about which buggy brand to buy, or which kitchen to have fitted.
In the past, brides had no say in their wedding, as it was generally paid for and organised by her parents. Nowadays, with the average bride and groom being 29 and 31 respectively, the couple are already financially and socially independent, and therefore want greater control over the most important day of their lives.
Here I agree with Mead, who says: “With the transition into marriage meaning so much less than it once did, weddings must be made to mean so much more.” I edit Brides magazine, and with more than 90% of our readers living with their partner before their wedding day, the wedding night is no longer the first night of intimacy. Now, of course, modern couples split the bills, and many have already lived alone at university; the main shift from being engaged to marriage for a lot of couples I speak to is “just a lovely feeling of feeling more secure and committed”.
The reality of marriage often hits later, but it is ridiculous for Mead to say that “the notion that the idealised moment of a wedding day has anything to do with the messy, lived-in reality of marriage is something that the wedding industry has an astonishing capacity to gloss over”. Would she prefer that wedding shops posted recent divorce rates in their windows, or that vicars handed out warnings that marriage can be bad for your ego and bank balance?
Would anyone get married if they truly knew the emotional compromise, hard work, family pressures and financial worries a long-term marriage really requires? It’s unlikely. And why dampen the happiness of a couple who go into their union with excitement and belief that they’ve met their lifelong partner?
Finally, Mead blames the wedding industry for the ills of marriage, claiming “the fact that [a wedding] has been turned into an extended shopping opportunity amounts, inevitably to a degradation of its larger significance”. As someone who wholeheartedly embraced what the industry had to offer for my own wedding, I simply don’t agree. We live in a consumer society. To suggest that weddings are somehow above this is naive. The demand is there before the supply. Our readers are desperate for ideas, images of dresses, great honeymoon destinations.
Who says that just because you want to celebrate in style – with a show-stopping dress, fabulous Louboutins, “freeze-dried rose petals [and] butterfly-release kits” – you’re not taking your marriage vows seriously? Princess for a day? Sign me up.
Articles from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/25/wedding-industry-celebrate-in-style
One of our most popular lines are the beautiful crystal wedding favours that we have stocked for some time now. Brides love that these are a functional present that guests can keep long after the wedding. With this in mind we have recently added the crystal heart place card holders that are already proving popular. Not only will these look fabulous decorating your wedding tables but your guest will be able to use them as photo holders when they take them home. I’ve attached the link and picture so you can go to the website and order yours now.
Thank you to everyone who entered our competition to win £200 worth of wedding invitations. We are delighted to announce that the winner is Katie Brennan who can choose any of the Verbena designs for her wedding invitations. As a thank you to everyone for entering we would like to off you all free shipping for the rest of July 2010. To claim your free shipping simply enter code JULY2010 into the coupon code box at the shopping cart. 
If you’re planning your wedding for later this year and haven’t yet purchased your wedding favours don’t worry, help is at hand. Below are some ideas of the trends that have appeared so far this year in the world of wedding favours. 
We have just added a new invitation to the site which is proving to be a great hit for summer weddings. We have often been asked about adding a sunflower invitation to the range so here it is in all it’s glory. We love adding new items to the range and hearing your feedback about them so do drop us a line and let us know what you think. If you would like to see a sample of the new design do drop me an e-mail and we will get one in the post to you.
Today we have a guest author who has written a piece for the blog. I hope you find it of interest.
Verbena will be showcasing a huge selection of their beautiful wedding favours and wedding invitations at the National Wedding Show at the NEC from 8th-10th October 2010. Do come along and meet the team to see the designs and discuss your requirements. We are looking forward to meeting lots of brides and helping make their big day extra special.
If following or writing wedding blogs isn’t enough, the truly wedding-obsessed can make use of yet another new iPhone app, iBride. Available for 50 North American cities, the application allows busy brides-to-be to connect with vendors of everything from flowers and rings to tuxedos and guest favours.