Weddings!

I've always loved the idea of weddings.  Everything is pretty, people are happy, and any celebration is wonderful.  There's something magical about them, and the different ways people can personalize them are always fun to see.

This summer I've attended two weddings, and am helping a friend prepare for one next summer.  The two I went to had staggeringly different aesthetics.  One was at a winery in the Okanagan, while the other was at the Empress Hotel in Victoria.  Both had the most essential ingredients for a great wedding, namely a bride and groom in love, surrounded by friends and family.

But now, helping with the preparation for a wedding, I can't help but be shocked at the entire process.  Once it's stopped being hypothetical, the cost is staggering.  Put the word "wedding" in front of something and the price doubles.  Use the word "bridal" instead, and it jumps three times.  Then there're all the things that need to be bought, made, sent, written, booked...it's insanity.  It's fun, but keeping costs down takes serious planning.  Ing is doing a fantastic job (this is by far the most bang I've seen someone get for their buck), but it's a little daunting to see.  Now I understand why eloping is such a popular idea (if rarely followed through on).

But if they eloped, I wouldn't be able to be a bridesmaid!  And that would be awful; I'm so excited!