Lessons - Too Much Too Much

I believe in many things.

Everyone has a twin.

You can't pick your family but you can pick your friends.

It's so much better to be nice.

George Clooney will never get married.

The strike zone in baseball is ridiculously inconsistent.

Marriage is easy, planning a wedding is hard.

Too much of a good thing, is not good.

A little bit goes a long way.

One of my designers is obsessed with George Clooney and I have been trying for a long time to find a way to somehow sneak him into an article with no avail.  I finally did it!!!  Hope you love it Gaby.

Read my lips  ---- I believe you when you say that planning a wedding is hard.  It wasn't so hard when my brother got married in the 80's.  It was simple - go to Virginia Bakery and order their signature cake.  Go to University Florist and pick red flowers.  Make favors with Jordan Almonds. Done.

When I was planning my wedding in the 90's it was a little more challenging.  Interviewed 2 caterers, picked the one with the better food. Went to 1 cake tasting at Montclair Baking.  Had to choose amongst 12 different slices.  Ended up with a cake inspired by Martha Stewart.  Made my own invites and had our good friends Joey and JoAnna help us stuff them.  Picked a gown from Ann Taylor(like Amy Smart!) as there were very few choices of silver dresses in 1999.   Drove to see 10+ sites in Napa.   Picked two good friends to be the coordinator. A little more challenging but still manageable.  But today, it's a job.

This is just my belief but planning a wedding is harder these days because there simply are more choices.  More things to look at.  More items to worry about.  More details to review.  More. More. More.

What ever happened to simplicity?

When I said more things to look at, I mean more real wedding inspirations and ideas.  It has gotten to the point that there is just an insane amount of information to filter between the many media outlets.

Frankly, it is paralyzing. 

There's just too many details repeated in new variations that it's original beauty is starting to fade.  On top of that, there are endless color combinations in equally endless styles.  Plus, how many vendors are there to choose from? With broader choices,  abundant wedding "imagery",  and endless DIY projects,  it's harder for people to focus.

It's so disruptive ---- a poor bride could easily get Wedding A.D.D.

On another level, with so many real weddings being published or featured these days, don't these real weddings feel less special to you the reader?   It makes interesting details which were once original, now frightfully trivial.  It forces couples to come up with micro details that seem disingenuous.  It makes the decision making process harder as people just can't make up their minds.

What have we done? What have we done?

I can't help but hope that we can return to editing, focusing, and sticking to what is true.  Being a good editor means that you have to discern what is newsworthy before one's credibility is lost.

Remember, too much of a good thing, is not good and a little bit goes a long, long way.