Your wedding is not for you

Your wedding, in fact, exists to support the countless millions who make their living in the enormous wedding industry. These include photographers, who in some cases make as much as $50,000 per event, caterers, djs, bands, florists, stylists, dress makers, hotels, wedding planners and other scam artists.

They will tell you that they just want to make this a great day. As one of these people (or I am until I get another job) I know for a fact that these people don't care about your special day, which is what these people invariably call you wedding, they care about your money. They will tell you that you should spend lots of money because this is the most important day of your life and it will only happen once. Of course, this is a lie. They say these things because they want to put their kids through college. So, the point is, I'd elope if I were you.

It's not just for the wedding industry, it's for the parents. My wife and I heard many the nightmare about MOBs (Mothers of the Bride) trying to make their daughter have the wedding the MOB always wanted for herself.

Eloping is a valid response, as is attempting to face down the MOB (or other force of nature) -- if you're just as happy in a courtroom or your basement, you can get married fairly cheaply without the MOB's financial help. Alternatively, if your vision of the wedding is close enough to the MOB's that you can tolerate it, then grin and bear it and laugh about the rough patches during the honeymoon. (After a rough patch, my wife and I worked well with the MOB.)

Just remember the important thing: It's not about the wedding, it's about the marriage.