Why I Don't Approve of Four Weddings

There is this show that originated on TLC called Four Weddings (and now there is a Canadian version aptly titled Four Weddings Canada).  The premise is four brides go to each others' weddings and "rate" them on various elements such as food, dress, ceremony, reception (I think - I have seen one episode and that was enough for me), and the person with the highest ratings wins a fancy honeymoon.

Okay, I realize the intent of the show is all in good fun, but the one episode I watched did not look fun.  It was awful!  Who in their right mind wants to invite 3 bitchy strangers to their wedding whose job it is to critique every aspect of the day?  Not me.  No one should!

The reason I seriously disapprove of this show being on the air, more than other wedding shows like Rich Bride Poor Bride (which I totally have seen almost every episode of - let's not pretend I'm above watching wedding shows), is that it's not just about the wackiness of planning a wedding on a weird budget or buying a dress, it's literally turning the actual wedding, the actual act of getting married into a competition.  That is just wrong!

I will admit, when we first got engaged I didn't think much about the ceremony, or even enough about the emotional side of the day in its entirety, but I smartened up.  Getting married is a BIG DEAL.  It's not just reciting a script and giving each other rings and having a party - you're declaring your love and commitment in front of all your family and friends, and tying your life to another person.  Whether you are religious or not, I can't imagine how someone could not consider such an act to be sacred, and how anyone could consider such an act something it's okay to invite a bunch of strangers to so they can judge it.

Making your wedding day a contestant in a reality show would totally rob you of some (or all) of the emotional presence you need to truly experience your wedding to the fullest, and I know I have not ever had a wedding before but if anyone tries to argue otherwise I'm pretty sure they are lying to themselves.  I've heard that getting married is (usually) a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and it's an experience I don't want TV cameras and bitchy nit-picking stranger guests to distract me from.  Even if I had a 25% chance of winning a fancy honeymoon for my trouble.