What do you wish you had done between engaged and married?

[nothing2lose]

Pretty much the whole thing Keike. Spending mega bucks to look like a "princess" (blugghhh) meringue, the dress being white to denote the bride's "purity" (which is usually a moot point anyway), the almost always overpriced dress usually being totally functionless and almost aways never able to be worn again..... I guess it stems from my feeling that some people spend too much time worrying about the wedding and not enough considering the marriage.

I guess I am a wedding scrooge

[Astrid]

N2L - the white dress meaning purity is a whole load of BS. It used to be that you wore your best dress, be that brown, red, blue etc, if it was new at the time, often the decorative features would be removed, so it could then be worn for everyday or sunday best. Then Queen Victoria wore white (being the queen she could afford to have a new dress), so it then became the fashion. Then somewhere along the line the meaning behind the white got lost/twisted to the purity meaning.

[nothing2lose]

Either way Astrid, I wouldnt be seen dead in one. (Which is kind of fitting seeing as many women were buried in their wedding dresses back in the day).

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I had white because I had white roses (for my county) and wanted the dress to match the flowers. The dress I wanted wasn't expensive either, but my mother said no and bought me an expensive one which was lovely but I can't wear again.

I'm considering having the top of it turned into a nice corset top so I can keep wearing it. Maybe better think about that before I get too old.

And I wouldn't go with looking like a princess to a wedding. Did you see what Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice wore to the last wedding they attended? For shame, the designers of those clothes, for shame.

[Astrid]

Either way Astrid, I wouldnt be seen dead in one. (Which is kind of fitting seeing as many women were buried in their wedding dresses back in the day).

I would really confuse archaeologists of the future if I was ever buried in my wedding dress. "Why is a 20/21st century woman wearing a design from 1520's Saxony?" I ended up not wearing the typical wedding dress and mine has been worn many times since

[nothing2lose]

When DP and I get married we have decided to have a very small affair (no, not that kind) with immediate and close family and friends in a small church with a BBQ or similar afterwards.

[Floweryfields]

I don't get spending an absolute fortune on anything to do with one day. I was reading a bridal magazine with all of the real life weddings and some were spending high 5 and 6 figures for ONE day. I just don't get it. I would rather have something very small and intimate and use the money for something far more worthy.

[LuluHB]

I think weddings are a very personal thing. I wanted to elope - I hate being the centre of attention, hate having my photo taken etc so the thought of the whole big wedding day left me cold. We ended up doing the more traditional thing due to my feelings of obligation towards older family but still kept it fairly small and I'm so glad that we did. It was one of the best days of my life. I didn't feel like a princess (and wasn't trying to look like one in my non-white dress) but I did feel the most beautiful I have ever felt before or since, which was far more to do with the fact that I was so incredibly thrilled to be marrying my man that to do with the dress I was wearing.

But no, still not high 5 figures. That is just ludicrous. I was bridesmaid for a girl whose wedding cost a smidge over $120K. And I didn't even like her dress ;-)

[Sopdet]

the best thing about my wedding dress was the sound it made when it went up in flames

I swear I'm going to elope this time around, go overseas with a few close friends & family and have a black tie event somewhere exotic.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

She's going for a beach wedding, she may not actually go for a white dress, and I highly doubt it'll be a meringue, but that doesn't mean she should miss out on the whole experience. TBH, I don't really care about the reasoning behind the white dress, if she wants one, she should have it, and if she doesn't, she won't!

ETA - Took far too long to post, and now there's another page She's got her head screwed on too tight to spend a heap of money on one day, and they don't have it anyway. I just don't want her to miss out on the fun part of planning a huge wedding like I did.