Dear Brides-to-be (an open letter - another reason why weddings are expensive)

[Sarah]

I know!  It's sort of awe-inspiring.

By the way, I think in FOTchan my post saying I agreed with TremblingEagle on the subject of marriage would have been answered at some point by someone saying, "Let me guess--you're single, right?"  At which point, if I were in the mood, I would have acknowledged the accuracy of the guess and perhaps gone on to explain laboriously why that didn't make my point of view invalid.  Fun for everyone, right?

[emma]

I know!  It's sort of awe-inspiring.

I've got the novel based on his senior years all worked out.
"A Piece Of Land And A Shotgun: One Man's Journey"

[andrew in philadelphia]

Creepiest bachelor party I've ever been to:
Strip club in a converted warehouse in Philly, where they had no liquor license, so you'd bring in a case of beer, but you had to give it to a bartender who'd keep your case behind the bar and hand you your own beer on request.  People also had pizza delivered to this place.

yeah, "daydreams." was there only once for a bachelor party a couple of years ago. that place was maybe too intense - like being drunk in a casino (as in: very disorienting..) also saw people chowing down on food there - which is, um.. unsettling? what a weird place..

don't think i've ever been to a bach party for any friend that cost me more than $50 - which is decent and reasonable. anything higher is kind of an imposition i think. not everyone has tons of cash to throw around on these things.

as for weddings themselves - it's a little creepy how worked up people get over those things - and even more obscene how much dough people plunk down for them. we did ours on the cheap - and did just about everything ourselves. told people to wear jeans and not to get dressed up (the only ones who were was me and the wife,) got a friend to act as photog, my uncle jackie rolled up his sleeves to tend bar when things got hectic, made a bunch of the food ourselves, and i, much to my delight, got to pick all the music played. it might have been the 1st time anyone ever used pavement's "here" as a wedding slow song - or played alice cooper's "raped and freezin'" during cocktail hour. 'twas nice..

[Gilly]

   I don't understand how a person could expect to spend less than 50 dollars... An average night on the town costs almost as much as that in the big city. Factor in other typical bachelor party events, the fact that the bachelor won't be paying for anything and maybe dinner and a taxicab (might as well just rent out a few hotel rooms instead of getting a taxi all over the place) and you're well over 50 dollars. It's the nature of the game. Most of the time you know well in advance that the bachelor party will be taking place so there is plenty of time to plan accordingly. Assuming 50 dollars is not planning accordingly.

[Martin]

I love a good wedding, as long as it's not my own...! THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT

Seriously though, I love weddings. What's not to like? At least if you're a guest with no responsibilities like holding a speech (I spoke, and DJed, at my sister's wedding). Ideally, and I've found this to be the case with all weddings I've attended, it's a declaration of love between two people you probably know and like, there's awesome food, plenty of booze, lots of happy people, lots of music (sometimes shitty, sometimes not). And it's often in the summer. Maybe I've just been lucky.

The whole ceremonial aspects of weddings, that's a whole other can of worms. I see TremblingEagle's POV. I'm not a religious guy at all, so I prefer a non-religious ceremony, but whatever rocks that particular couple's boat.

As for bachelor parties, I could tell you some stories that will make you want to murder every human being in the world.

[Andy]

I know!  It's sort of awe-inspiring.

By the way, I think in FOTchan my post saying I agreed with TremblingEagle on the subject of marriage would have been answered at some point by someone saying, "Let me guess--you're single, right?"  At which point, if I were in the mood, I would have acknowledged the accuracy of the guess and perhaps gone on to explain laboriously why that didn't make my point of view invalid.  Fun for everyone, right?

but you're single, right?

anyway, here's some random crap because I am so happy to have the world wide web back.

!) the parties have gotten out of control
2) best bachelor party- my camping trip, worst- my buddies shotgun wedding b.p. at a strip club where you had to bring in your own beer (and we were all underage so we snuck it in in apple juice containers.  we were so slick)
3) nobody likes weddings, so make them laid back.  we had mexican food, no speeches/dances/garter toss/etc...   it was fun, but it was still a TON of work.  Too much, in fact.