Bridal Magazine Addiction?

Before you say (or think) anything, let me at least plead my case.

It happened simply enough back in 1999, my Freshman year of college.  One of my 4 dorm-mates was getting married and she left her bridal magazine in the living room.  About this same time I was dating a guy who wanted to married me from day one (in retrospect - RED FLAG, RUN!).  So I thought, there's no harm in looking at this . . . . .

Fast forward through the years where I had another boyfriend that wanted to marry me.  We were so broke, both working at the mall, but the magazines gave us something to dream about.  Remember wedding magazines are around $5 or more a pop.  Don't try to add up this cost - it will make you cringe.

My favorite was always when you checked out at the store.  The checker would say "oh are you getting married?  No, I just like looking at them."  I tried to tell myself that I was being an informed consumed that when "it" happened, I would be ready.  I could plan my dream wedding in moments with the help of all this research.  My mom always told me that everything I liked would be outdated by then.  I like to think that my wedding will be timeless, so her comment didn't matter.

Then my glorious moment occurred when I moved into my house.  I treated myself to a year long subscription of Modern Bride, Bride and Elegant Bride  - it was a special bundle.  Every month, I look forwarded to mail.  Then into that first year, they canceled Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, which was ok because because Bride was always my favorite one.  I renewed for 2 years.  My sister was always afraid for any potential boyfriends.  What would he think if he walked into my bridal magazine extravaganza?  Don't worry kinda like Playboys, I hid them, camoflaged them, on planes, I would put them inside other magazines because you don't want people asking questions.  Once on a plane, the flight attendant said over the loud speaker that they had a bridal magazine to give away and it took all my will-power not to press my call button.  Then I realized, oh, I already have that one.  That's not new.

It wasn't just bridal magazines through the mail, I also searched for them on trips.  I have Colorado, Florida, New Orleans, Alabama, Pensacola, FL, Maryland, VA & DC, MO & KS, Destination specials, and my hometown St Louis Weddings.  And let's not forget Martha Stewart Weddings and In-Style Magazine's Wedding Special.  Remember I was being an informed consumed?

Or there was the time when my friend got engaged and I brought her about 2 dozens magazines to look through.  I know that you are thinking, how sweet.  Kinda, but not really.  Before letting her borrow the magazines, I put my return address labels on all of them - I was going to get them back!  Then since I didn't want her cut them up, I got her color-coded post it tabs to put on the pages.  Red for flowers, yellow for hair, etc.  She just laughed.  What is wrong with you brides?!?!? You have all the excuses in the world to go buy ever bridal magazine and you don't?!?!? I think that all my friends that have gotten married in the past 10 years collectively have had about 10 magazines total and that's because "people" have brought them for them, they did not actively buy them themselves.  Insert my sad face here.

After 2 years of monthly service, I didn't renew.  It's been 2 years now.  I do slip up from time to time and buy one.  Like the time that my boyfriend and I got back together (7 yrs on and off) and I took him to my super secret wedding location.  I naively thought, we're going to do this, this time.  I even had a diamond and platinum Tiffany's commitment ring to prove it.  Well, it's not my super secret wedding location anymore and the commitment ring, well I do love that ring on my right hand. 

If you are keeping count, I have been engaged 3 times, no wedding and probably hundreds of wedding magazines. 

Zoey and I in the secret location. Simply beautiful.

Secretly, I do have my ultimate dream location, it's beautiful and simple and definitely me (I found it when I was researching parks to go hiking at with Zoey in Florida.)  I'm saving it for the one, not the kinda one, or ok let's do this, this time one. Simply, my guy.  I will probably ultimately elope, just me and him, on our day.  I want a man that says I love you so much, meet me here next Thursday and that will be our story, told by a fabulous photographer so that I can share it with fmaily and friends later.  All the magazine clippings that are currently in file folders waiting to be put into "The Wedding Binder" will probably not even get flipped through.

What ever happened to all the magazines you ask.  Well, after I went through them, they got recycled.  I did allow myself to keep several of my favorites.  Brides, Washington DC - I got this one when I first moved to DC for grad school.  It was thin enough that I could keep it in my bag and flip through it on the subway.  I just think that DC is one of the most romantic cities that I have been to, not exactly sure why.  It just is for me.  I kept the Martha Stewart Weddings with the Today show couple Cody and Jess.  They are so cute and young and had this huge beautiful wedding - themed Breakfast at Tiffany's.  I have a couple of The Knot yearly guides because they have ALOT in them and I didn't want to tear them apart.  Now with the internet age (and I haven't even joined Pinterest yet - eventhough my sister has and has a "ideas for my sister's wedding folder"), you can save images and find almost anything you want related to weddings. I do search on there now from time to time to quench my wedding itch. 

Recovering Bridal Magazine Addict?  . . . . Yep, I'm that girl :)
    
PS Before I wrote this post, my sister told me that she discovered that her really good friend also have a bridal magazine subscription.  SEE - I'm not the only girl that does this.  Non-engaged bridal magazine buying women UNITE!!!!!