Friday night is fight-night on Bride Vs Groom and the trash talking started early this week as with one win a piece in the series Dom and I are looking to take the advantage! We picked a huge topic for debate this week and one we’ve thought about many times: The Extravagant Vs Intimate Wedding.
That’s right we’re going to exchange blows on whether it’s better to go for the big, extravagant, EXPENSIVE wedding or the smaller, more intimate and (ahem) cheaper wedding, hmm…I wonder who’s chosen to fight for which…!
In the red corner: fighting on behalf of the extravagant wedding, she’s taken to hiding all the receipts from the wedding-based purchases, it’s Dom “The Tog” Bride.
In the blue corner: fighting it out for the intimate wedding, he’s taken to hiding from the wedding in general, it’s Matt “The Gormless” Groom
FIGHT ON!
D: Your wedding is the most important day of your life. It’s that once in a lifetime event, the ultimate celebration and your chance to be the centre of attention just for the day! It should be a day never to be forgotten and should be celebrated in style!
M: I’m not sure the male species has ever truly persuaded anyone with the following argument but hey it’s worth a pop: SIZE DOESN’T MATTER! It’s not about how grand your venue is or how many people you invite, it’s about two people committing to each other and agreeing to spend the rest of their lives together.
D: Well yes, absolutely… but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun along the way! Weddings have always been huge social occasions and most people want theirs to be an event that no-one will ever forget: a day to be shared with all your friends and family and probably the only time you will ever be able to get all the people you love in the same room at the same time!!
M: But whilst it’s great to see EVERYONE you know, for a lot of people that actually becomes far less social than having just a few people there that you’re actually really close to! The Bride and Groom are always going to be in high demand with the guests and with so many people to see newlyweds often spend their whole day having 2 minute snippets of conversation with their guests rather than having the chance to enjoy spending proper time with them (or getting any alone-time with their new spouse!)
D: How often do you get the chance to be truly pampered, to have your dream day and do whatever you want to do? Deep down every girl wants to feel beautiful, to feel like a princess. Your wedding day is your chance to do that; to not worry about the cost or the perils of daily life but to simply, for one day, have everything your heart desires.
M: But do you really need to throw absolutely everything at it to achieve that feeling? One of the most amazing moments i’ve experience at a wedding was seeing a bride share a tearful embrace with her mum before walking down the aisle in her grandmothers wedding gown. It cost her nothing; it meant everything.
D: Way to pull at the heartstrings Matt! But special moments like that are not limited to an intimate wedding, if you have something sacred to you like that dress or a sacred piece of jewellery of course you would wear it. At a bigger wedding you’d just be able to share that moment with more people!
M: Elaborate weddings are inevitably expensive. Spending all of your savings on the wedding can leave little left in the coffers to start the marriage itself: the wedding is one day, what about freeing up more money for a long honeymoon, or even the deposit on that first house together?
D: Even smaller weddings can be very expensive, particularly if you still want that perfect dress, slick sports car, amazing photographs and beautiful setting. If you’re going to that expense anyway isn’t it better to just spend a little more and have everyone you want there and make it your perfect day? I’m not saying you should spend beyond your means but it should be the one day of your life where you don’t worry about the money and just enjoy yourself!
M: Not everyone enjoys being the centre of attention; some people are very shy and hate the idea of being looked at by lots of people! And what about the speeches? A lot of people truly fear public speaking and the more people there are the more likely you are to freeze up!
D: I think on your wedding day you’re so emotional and happy that most people forget that everyone’s looking at them. As for speeches yes it probably is more nerve-racking facing a larger room but the payoff can be much bigger when the whole room erupts into laughter at one of your jokes or you bring an emotional tear to everyone’s eyes.
M: It’s all very well for you: you don’t have a best-man prepped to assassinate your character in front of hundreds of people!
D: I know… that’s why I’m inviting everyone in your address book! 😉
FINAL REMARKS
D: Many of us have dreamed about our perfect wedding since we were children. A wedding is an extraordinary life-changing event and deserves to be celebrated as such. Make it your day, make it as elaborate as you want it to be. Don’t look back at your wedding day with any regret; make it simply perfect. It’s the one day of your life where extravagance is permitted: make the most of it!
M: Your wedding doesn’t have to be big to be special. It’s about you and the person you intend to spend the rest of your life with: no-one else. Share your day with the people you really want to be there, not the people you feel obligated to invite. There are beautiful venues of every size catering for weddings and you don’t have to bankrupt yourself to make it a great day. Smaller celebrations can allow for quirkier events and a less formal atmosphere if that’s what you want: do it your way, not the way you think you have to do it!
What sort of wedding would you go for? Is it worth spending all that money on a huge occasion or is something more intimate the way to go? Let us know what you think in our comments section below!
