"Frankly, I think that's insane but it's their money. All included, we spent less than $200 and that included my ring."

hehehe. good to see we agree on sumthin'

My future brother-in-law is getting married to a gal hell-bent on the fantasy white-wedding. Her family is spending 18,000 JUST on the catering for the reception dinner alone.

I estimate (conservatively!) that, all told, the wedding will stack up to be on the order of 30,000-40,000.

The brides father said he would foot-the-bill for whatever she wanted, but if the couple spent less than 30,000, he would GIVE them the difference.

So she sacrificed tens of thousands of dollars for one single 'fantasy' day (5,000 of it on a dress she'll wear once in her life, too) - that she'll be too stressed out and busy to even really enjoy. And she and her future hubby don't have great jobs (shes a waitress right now! and he works sales at best-buy)- those tens of thousands of dollars could have been a college fund, a retirement fund, a graduate education... etc. All down a white lacey drain.

It makes me want to smak 'em both updside the head.

My gal and I, we're gonna find a beach down south and get married, with just our parents and 1 friend each and a justice of the peace. I'm wearing jeans, sh'e wearing a skirt.

Were gonna have Sandwich rings and chicken wings for the reception dinner. Call it: 'wings, rings and weddings'... We're both looking forward to it SO much more...

Davin L.