Bridezilla? No Thanks!

So I was just reading an article about a women who eloped, in it she put forth her reasons for why it was the right thing to do. Like how much time and money it takes to put a wedding together. And it got me thinking. When did we get into this era of bridezillas being acceptable/normal?? Have you ever watched that show? Or worse, had a little bridezilla in your life? I just don't get it. These two people want to get married. So that means that all the people they"love most" have to come together, throw expensive parties for them, be their errand girl, act like they are a flawless princess, make sure no one stresses them out, spend considerable amounts of money on the clothes for that one day, and I'm sure the list could go on and on. I really don't get it. I don't buy the well I spent a lot of money on the planning and dinner so...still was your choice. I just really hate the culture that says this is the way it is now. Where everything needs to be more elaborate, more indulgent, more self centered. I had the simplest wedding. My hubby and I had a child when we were teenagers. We decided to get married two months after he was born. It was all planned in like a week. Only our immediate family was invited and we had hot dogs at my brothers house afterwards. I'm not going to act like it was what I always dreamed of as little girl, but I was just as married as anyone else by the end of the day. We always said we would have a real wedding in a year or two, but the realities of life hit us...a child to raise, a second baby on the way by our 1st anniversary, finances, time, and in all honesty, interest. We lost interest. Life goes on, the one thing I really feel I missed out on is the pictures. We didn't have a professional photographer and my hair turned out to be an atrocity that day. None of the pictures we have are or ever will be displayed in our house...I kinda regret that for my 3 daughters sake. But there are more important things than a big elaborate wedding. I'm not saying they are inherently self centered. Weddings are a beautiful thing to share with your loves ones, but they sure can turn in to a "me me me fest". Why do we have to be so self centered in this country? Why do we feel the need to appear better than those around us? What happened to the weddings that served only cake and punch (for the record, I do not encourage or recommend only serving cake and punch, despite my ranting I expect a full meal when I go to a wedding. What I'm really referring to when I say that is a change of attitude, not menu). I think we need to just stop being so stuck up and prideful and selfish. That's all. Ok, there's one more thing I missed out on. I never registered for or received the standard gifts to start a household. We had to slowly put all that together ourselves...but maybe that's not such a bad thing, I don't have all the nicest accessories and place settings and dishes and bath towels. I have what I earned. What we could afford with what we worked for. I don't know, I think kinda think that might be the best thing we got from our wedding.