Until recently, I don't think I ever considered just what a social phenomenon the business of being a bride is in today's society.
Take reality television for instance.
TLC has SAY YES TO THE DRESS, cataloging various brides-to-be as they shop for the perfect dress for their big day. This show is so popular, it spawned spinoffs SYTTD Atlanta, SYTTD Randy Knows best, not to mention the UK version of the show.
BRAVO brought us KANDY'S WEDDING, detailing RHOA star Kandy Burress's wedding prep, TAMRA'S OC WEDDING, I DREAM OF NENE: The Wedding, and DON'T BE TARDY for the Wedding. All feature Real Housewives of various cities as they become brides.
And don't think other networks are missing out on taking a bite of the lucrative bridal pie. There's My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, Married at First Sight, My Big Redneck Wedding, Four Weddings, Bridezillas, Bridalplasty, and Wedding SOS just to name a few American bridal-themed shows.
The amazing thing to me is that all these shows bring in huge revenue for their networks which means they are being watched. A lot. More than a lot. And continually. SYTTD is in syndication now.
The business of being a bride isn't relegated to the small screen only, though. In recent years big blockbuster movies about brides have made their way into our collective consciousness.
BRIDAL WARS, The Runaway Bride, Bridesmaids, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Made of Honor, 27 Dresses, are just a few of the more popular ones, but there are dozens more.
Most of the big-screen versions of being a bride are romantic comedies set in the contemporary world, much like the books I write.
When I decided to write a series about a wedding planner and her sisters who reside in a small town in New England, I never realized what big business the wedding industry is. It's been a looooooong time since I got married. Back in the day, there were no bridal planners unless you were a Rockefeller or a Kenndy and planning a political or family merger shindig where you really did need the help. The bride and her family and friends planned everything. I'm sure there were some brides-to-be who could have been labeled bridezillas, but back then, their behavior was simply referred to as wedding jitters and nerves.
The research I did on the wedding industry so that I could give Colleen O'Dowd, my wedding planner, a truthful and realistic feel, really opened my eyes to this multibillion-dollar industry and the way it has become a needed entity in the everyday lives of brides everywhere.
My MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Series along with the 2022 release of my HEAVEN'S MATCHMAKER series, tap into this bridal mania. Using humor and the love of a family to navigate through the craziness of weddings, brides, and inlaws, both series were a labor of love to pen.
A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN is available now in print and ecopy everywhere digital books are sold.
HEAVEN'S MATCHMAKER will release beginning in June 2022 with cover reveals coming soon!
Are you attending any weddings this June ( or summer?) I've already been to 1 and it was fab. Comment below for a chance to win an ecopy of any of the MMIH books ( 1-3)
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Weddings are definitely big business with each bride trying to outdo the other, and then there's the price tag. Love Say Yes To The Dress and 4 Weddings! Your series sounds great.
ReplyDeleteMArcia - the price tags are ridiculous, i agree!!!!
DeleteAnd everyone wants to have something original or different and competes. Not sure that would be the job for me wedding planner. I can imagine in the end, a happy beautiful bride and groom can make your day, but getting there must be tough for some.
ReplyDeleteNora - I agree. it's not the journey, but the destination and just as long as you're married at the end of it, it's good!
DeleteI've never watched a single one of these shows, but then I rarely watch TV and don't have cable. Doubtful I'd watch them anyway. But they do seem popular. But I have read your wedding series and love every word!!
ReplyDeleteFortunately when my oldest daughter got married, she didn't want a lavish affair. We managed to get the whole thing done for about $1500 and that included the dress!! And it was still an absolutely gorgeous wedding!
Kari - i bet it was!!!!!! She did it right.
ReplyDeleteI'm about to venture into this realm, this time as the mother of the bride. While I'm excited to celebrate and watch my daughter walk down the aisle, I would love not to spend a lot and make it about the wedding. It should be about the couple. We will try, but gosh it's so easy to get swept up in all the fuss and princess stuff!
ReplyDeleteKara even a small wedding these days costs what a new car does!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWeddings are expensive for sure. We paid for 2 plus helped out on the other 2. Glad we ran out of kids to be married off!
ReplyDeleteMy youngest daughter got married a couple of years ago at a beautiful venue in St. Louis (brick building with freight elevator to the reception, widows everywhere and two balconies). The wedding itself was at the courthouse, only the brides, best man, and matron of honor. This August it's my eldest's turn. Hers will be in their backyard with only immediate family and attendants. Her brother is officiating and they're having a hand-binding ceremony. She is wearing a gold dress and they're catering a taco bar. Each wedding will be lovely in their own right and are befitting the brides. It's crazy the things that have become standard at these affairs. Gifts for the guests, both at the hotel and the venue, fondue bars, candy bars, late night appetizers...and the ceremonies are almost an afterthought. People are starting their lives together by going into debt paying for their wedding. But they have to outdo their extravagant proms and promposals. Sometimes I feel the emphasis has been put on the wrong things and the meaning of a marriage has been lost along the way. The best weddings are the ones where--extravagent or simple--the couple are clearly in love with one another and that is first and foremost. I love the ideas for wedding series! I haven't read one yet but I'm looking forward to it!
ReplyDelete