On the Importance of Being Dubious

So far, all of my posts have been of the gushy, blushing-bride variety, so I thought it might be helpful (critical?) to explain a little more about why this blog is called The Dubious Bride. It's not just a cute moniker.

 To be honest, I already feel sort of squirmy at the prospect of being the center of attention on the big day. Remember that episode of Friends where Chandler finds out that Monica has had every detail of her wedding planned since the fifth grade, right down to scraps of fabric and budgetary breakdowns? Well, I'm no Monica. I want my wedding to be beautiful and magical and fun, but I have no idea how it's all going to play out. Not to mention the fact that I'm mostly a Converse-and-jeans kind of girl, and I get seriously tense at the prospect of spending more than $150 on an article of clothing. (And at that price, it had better be something I can wear to work, cocktail parties, job interviews, the beach, and possibly to bed for the rest of my days.) I'd hate for you to think I'm not excited to get married--I seriously can't wait to actually be married--it's just that I'm having trouble imagining my cynical self as the blushing bride floating down the aisle as strains of romantic rapture fall down on all sides. I suspect I'm not the only one who ever felt this way. Am I?

In addition to all that, I've covered the industry a bit as a journalist and it's become obvious how difficult the big-business bridal terrain can be to navigate for the average hapless bride-to-be like me. Not all vendors are scrupulous, price quotes are ridiculously confusing, and hidden costs abound. It's actually kind of depressing if you think about it too much. (Happy place, Dubious Bride, happy place!)

I'm not totally cheap; I just don't want to throw away money on traditions I don't care about or costs that could have been avoided. For example, did you know that you can save a couple thousand dollars if you sidestep your caterer and bring the alcohol yourself? (Thirty bucks for a bottle of Apple Puckers? No thanks!) And that hairstylists jack up the price for services that would cost half as much if it wasn't for your big day? (Lame.)

This is starting to raise my blood pressure, so perhaps I'll leave it at that.

On to the first order of business: Sitting down with the fiancé and figuring out how many people we want to have at this thing! I'm hoping figuring out a number will make some of the other decisions--location, venue, time of year, etc.--come into sharper focus. I'm secretly dreaming of a tiny destination wedding at some romantic little vineyard in Napa. We'll see what John thinks....

Oh, and would you believe that I still haven't gotten that ring insured? Please don't tell my dad.