[image source]Bridal Magazines. Just those two words used to be enough to make me go wide-eyed and gooey. I'd skirt the bridal section in the newsagent, surreptitiously glancing at the covers and drinking in the beautiful details. Cover stories leapt out at me enticingly, attempting to lure me closer with their articles about venue ideas, wedding favours, bridesmaid advice and honeymoon destinations with palm trees and colourful cocktails. I was obsessed.
And yet, I rarely ever picked them up to browse, much less got up the courage to BUY one. I had this feeling that I wasn't allowed. That they were SPECIAL magazines, made only for those who were actually engaged and planning a wedding. As I grew older and the chances of marriage grew more remote, I grew paranoid. I felt like getting caught flipping through the pages of a bridal magazine would earn me glances. That people would be thinking in their head, "You're TERRIBLE Muriel!".
Yes, I think the film Muriel's Wedding gave me a complex about bridal magazines. Poor Muriel's obsession with getting married despite not having a partner never stopped her from indulging in those things that are normally only the preserve of the affianced. I thought that looking at bridal magazines when I wasn't engaged would make people think I was a desperate, lonely, sad old spinster. I waited until I was engaged two whole days before purchasing my first one.
Now that was a good feeling. It was like eating forbidden fruit!
Since, I've learnt that some ladies actually do browse, read and purchase these mags when not engaged to be married. Some without the strange shame that I attached to such an act myself… and I envy those women! Perhaps I could have gotten my obsession out of my system sooner.
It took about three months for the shine to wear off. Three months of buying a new bridal mag every fortnight, sometimes two. My mother was buying them for me too, I think she was taking as much delight in them as I was. And there was endless variety - from the big, thick glossy ones that weigh a ton to the smaller, matte-paged boutique publications. I amassed quite a collection, and followed the advice of every wedding planning article I read by starting an inspiration board. I quickly filled it up and forgot about it, though my partner was nice enough to hang it on the wall outside the office.
And then, the magazines started to lose their appeal. They all started to look the same. I didn’t want to spend $15 on a mag that had 150+ pages of wedding dresses (and the rest advertising) any more. And there are only so many articles that can be written on speech etiquette, after all. Only so many bridesmaid gift guides that one girl can stomach. And certainly there is a limit to the number of shoe options one woman could possibly need.
I stopped buying them. I started booking vendors, and planning the “look” of my ceremony and reception. I actually found that I had gotten more inspiration from online bridal blogs than the magazines I and my mother had spent a fortune on. True, there were some like Real Weddings that showcase wonderful real wedding days that were wonderful, and I am grateful for these magazines and also ones like White, that have such a different focus than the “glossies”.
Now I’ve settled on things like colour scheme and flowers, my pile of bridal magazines are gathering dust. I’m curious what other people do with theirs.
Do you pass them on?
Do you throw them out?
Do you stash and treasure, to flip through at a leisurely pace at some point in the years to come?
I’m also curious about YOUR thoughts on bridal magazines. Are you a sneaky reader? Ever bought one/two/many when you weren’t planning a wedding? Ever been called a Muriel?
And yet, I rarely ever picked them up to browse, much less got up the courage to BUY one. I had this feeling that I wasn't allowed. That they were SPECIAL magazines, made only for those who were actually engaged and planning a wedding. As I grew older and the chances of marriage grew more remote, I grew paranoid. I felt like getting caught flipping through the pages of a bridal magazine would earn me glances. That people would be thinking in their head, "You're TERRIBLE Muriel!".
Yes, I think the film Muriel's Wedding gave me a complex about bridal magazines. Poor Muriel's obsession with getting married despite not having a partner never stopped her from indulging in those things that are normally only the preserve of the affianced. I thought that looking at bridal magazines when I wasn't engaged would make people think I was a desperate, lonely, sad old spinster. I waited until I was engaged two whole days before purchasing my first one.
Now that was a good feeling. It was like eating forbidden fruit!
Since, I've learnt that some ladies actually do browse, read and purchase these mags when not engaged to be married. Some without the strange shame that I attached to such an act myself… and I envy those women! Perhaps I could have gotten my obsession out of my system sooner.
It took about three months for the shine to wear off. Three months of buying a new bridal mag every fortnight, sometimes two. My mother was buying them for me too, I think she was taking as much delight in them as I was. And there was endless variety - from the big, thick glossy ones that weigh a ton to the smaller, matte-paged boutique publications. I amassed quite a collection, and followed the advice of every wedding planning article I read by starting an inspiration board. I quickly filled it up and forgot about it, though my partner was nice enough to hang it on the wall outside the office.
And then, the magazines started to lose their appeal. They all started to look the same. I didn’t want to spend $15 on a mag that had 150+ pages of wedding dresses (and the rest advertising) any more. And there are only so many articles that can be written on speech etiquette, after all. Only so many bridesmaid gift guides that one girl can stomach. And certainly there is a limit to the number of shoe options one woman could possibly need.
I stopped buying them. I started booking vendors, and planning the “look” of my ceremony and reception. I actually found that I had gotten more inspiration from online bridal blogs than the magazines I and my mother had spent a fortune on. True, there were some like Real Weddings that showcase wonderful real wedding days that were wonderful, and I am grateful for these magazines and also ones like White, that have such a different focus than the “glossies”.
Now I’ve settled on things like colour scheme and flowers, my pile of bridal magazines are gathering dust. I’m curious what other people do with theirs.
Do you pass them on?
Do you throw them out?
Do you stash and treasure, to flip through at a leisurely pace at some point in the years to come?
I’m also curious about YOUR thoughts on bridal magazines. Are you a sneaky reader? Ever bought one/two/many when you weren’t planning a wedding? Ever been called a Muriel?
P.S. I've also stopped reading bridal blogs. Frankly, they are getting intimidating!
