October 16, 2013

Overheard: A Saturday Outside Uris

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By KATHERINE COLQUITT

“I saw this great idea on pinterest … wouldn’t it be great to have weather balloons tethered to the ground to hold the reception tent up?”  – Idealist Amateur Wedding Planner

“Yeah, until it gets windy.” – Practical Sorority Sidekick

It was an uncharacteristically bright day between Olin and Uris library. A group of sorority sisters sat on the rock blocks as they watched a wedding party ascended into Uris, undoubtedly taking pictures to commemorate their recent Cornell vows. As the group disappeared into the entrance, these Greek girls began hurriedly chatting about their future dresses, showers and suitors. I became intrigued by their conversation because, well, these types of optimists always baffle me. How could you possibly predict the design of your future chuppah? (Think Owen Wilson in Meet the Parents.) Or anticipate the type of flower arrangement that would perfectly capture the mood? These seemingly impossible questions now all have an answer, and that answer is just a click away. With names such as “Bridal Beauties,” these Pinterest “boards” are any bride-to-be’s wet dream, as well as any hopelessly romantic girl’s version of porn.

I am not condemning Pinterest in any way. It affords users with the ability to actively shop, dream and share their interests. However, this brings an unrealistic expectation of the “big day.” Does this college-student-turned-amateur-wedding-planner really believe that a tent supported by weather balloons is a realistic expectation? Flash forward to the big day: is the only problem really that the wind could pick up at any moment and blow the party away? While this is certainly an issue, I think that social media leads today’s youth to miss one crucial component: the money.

Although Jessie J.’s song, “Price Tag,” counters with:

“It’s not about the money, money, money

We don’t need your money, money, money

We just wanna make the world dance

Forget about the price tag…”

I am going to have to be a realist and say, with our unstable economy and the rapidly approaching debt ceiling: it’s all about the money. While I have no doubt that a reception tent supported by weather balloons would be absolutely awesome, that’s all it is: an incredible idea and equally endearing picture, but an impractical plan and equally unmanageable price tag.

Pinterest allows for these ideas to be shared and keeps the dream alive, but are these images actually attainable, or just ploys to inflate the already absurdly priced wedding industry? I implore all these young, hopeful brides-to-be to consider this reality. Getting married at Sage Chapel and taking stunning pictures in A.D. White is incredibly manageable, but please consider the depth of your pockets before dreaming up an intangible plan that may only end in disappointment, but more likely in an unwelcome call from debt collectors.

On a less cynical note, check out this lucky bride whose husband actually fulfilled her Pinterest fairytale: http://abcn.ws/16kSpAn