Wedding Obsessed.

So I've decided that I'm now wedding obsessed. I'm not even talking about my own wedding, but weddings in general. I think it probably started when I started to meet more and more people who are engaged.

I started to check out things on The Knot, the so-called authority on everything wedding planning related. It's interesting to see pictures of brides and grooms celebrating their big day, seeing different design ideas for the invitations, reception decor, and favors. It's really great for anyone interested in design, and of course for brides-to-be. It has helpful articles about getting started planning, and etiquette guides. It also has a budget-maker, guest list tracker, and honeymoon ideas.

My coworker got engaged in October, and I've seen her go through the process from dating, to engagement, to her upcoming nuptials on Sunday. She is the first I've met to go through the whole process. Then she started blogging on WeddingBee. I'm a notorious (to myself) blog reader, especially when it comes to people that I know. I have this sense of curiosity, and I like to be on the up and up. And now I'm a regular reader of WeddingBee, reading about the upcoming weddings of people that I don't know. It's fun and it's like I'm getting the inside scoop on a subject I don't know much about so that I can be prepared sometime in the future. Hmm, if I were a WeddingBee... I'd want to be Miss....

I don't have any close friends who are married, let alone engaged, so this is a new chapter for me. I have two other married coworkers, and two engaged. The others are in my boat, dating, and of course there are some singletons. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm actually quite disturbed that so many people define their happiness based on their relationship status. A relationship does not necessarily equate with happiness; you make your own happiness, no matter the source. And one should never have to feel pigeon-holed into a category. Personally, I never thought that I would be thinking about wedding related events at this point in my life. Considering that it's uncharted territory, it's just fun thinking about it.

Although, it's shocking and scary that the average wedding costs $27K. That's my salary post-tax (more or less). That's a new car. That's a nice down payment on a house. That's four years tuition at a state university. That is a lot of money. I'm definitely in the budget-conscious camp, and I hope to spend no more than $15K on my someday wedding. I don't want a huge affair, just my family and close friends. Let's just say that you'd better be worth $50-$100/person. Haha. It's an interesting way of thinking about it, but true and to the point. I'm really glad that I can get an inside look into the world of planning a wedding. I'll have an upper hand on the do's and don't's and hopefully be a lot less lost than I could be...