From the Golden Girls to Sex and the City, groups of women bonded by breasts, baggage and biology come together to celebrate being women. This celebratory sorority is most evident when a bride calls together the most important people in her life to be a bridesmaid. Bridesmaids gather to offer advice and support when needed, and laughter and levity when required; yet, brides’ egregious demands have formed the monster called Bridezilla. Suddenly, she treats her nearest and dearest with behavior that borders on verbal and monetary abuse, in what is mistaken as bridal entitlement.
Archive for the ‘relationships’ Category
Battle of the Bridesmaids
In Bridesmaids, feminism, feminist bride, girlfriend, marriage, Money, relationship health, relationships, The Feminist Bride, Tolerance, wedding ceremony on May 15, 2011 at 10:11 amBridal Shower Blues
In bride, Bridesmaids, Celebration, cohabitation, couples, feminism, feminist bride, feminist weddings, girlfriend, Groom, History, identity, independence, jack and jill party, marriage, men, Money, nuptials, registry, relationship health, relationships, stereotypes, stigma, The Feminist Bride, tradition, women on May 11, 2011 at 6:00 amOf all the traditions associated with weddings, bridal showers might be one of the most obsolete traditions remaining. While there’s hope with the new trend of “Jack and Jill” showers (both sexes), it remains narcissistically sexist, greedy, outdated, and well, cheesy. Read the rest of this entry »
Platonic Politics: Inviting an Ex to Your Wedding
In autonomy, boyfriend, bride, Bridesmaids, Celebration, Celebrities, couples, Divorce, feminism, feminist bride, feminist weddings, girlfriend, Groom, Health, independence, marriage, men, nuptials, relationship health, relationships, The Feminist Bride, Tolerance, wedding ceremony, women on March 26, 2011 at 12:18 amPeople are in an uproar because Prince William and Kate Middleton, wedding trendsetters of the 21st century, are (gasp!) inviting their exes to their wedding. People just can’t seem to jump on board with this one, which tells me there are one too many unrepaired, broken hearts out there. If these wedding icons can say to their amorous past, “Let bygones, be bygones,” it’s a little bit of egg on the face to those who can’t. Read the rest of this entry »
Goodbye Hymen, Hello Hyphen!
In autonomy, boyfriend, bride, Civil rights, couples, Divorce, Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, feminism, feminist bride, feminist weddings, girlfriend, Groom, Health, identity, independence, marriage, men, nuptials, patronymics, psychology, relationship health, relationships, The Feminist Bride, Tolerance, women on March 16, 2011 at 12:00 pmEach generation has their heated issue when it comes to marriage. Once upon a time, it was imperative to maintain the virtue and innocence of a young woman (i.e.: the presence of her hymen) on her wedding night. In present times, the average age of sexually active women is 17. Therefore, contrary to the repressive sexual times of our predecessors, kids today are literally putting the sex in the sex-ed. Don’t know what a hymen is Susie? Statistically, it looks like you lost it well before you made it to that health class lesson. Where the social issue of the hymen eventually broke, there is a new age one that aims to unite – that is last names. Say hello to our little friend, the hyphen. Read the rest of this entry »
Our Obsession With Love and Labeling
In boyfriend, couples, feminism, feminist bride, girlfriend, Health, identity, independence, marriage, men, nuptials, psychology, relationship health, relationships, sexuality, The Feminist Bride, Tolerance, women on February 8, 2011 at 6:42 pmIt’s already several dates in. You’re way into this new person and you’re pretty sure he or she is into you. The kissing is great, the butterflies have yet to go away, you swapped embarrassing stories that both of you swore you’d never tell anyone, there’s been talk of future dates and trips and…neither of you are seeing anyone else. It’s time to have “the talk.”
There’s no “Me” in Bride
In bride, feminine mystique, feminism, feminist bride, Health, identity, independence, marriage, nuptials, psychology, relationship health, relationships, The Feminist Bride, wedding ceremony on September 28, 2010 at 7:39 pmSome people use their astrological signs to describe their personality – preordained by time and chance
according to the alignment of the stars. Some attribute their character based on their parents or environment; access to money or lack thereof. There are many internal and external factors that help create you, and it’s nice to think that identity, to some extent, is something we can choose. After a short lifetime of making those critical choices or being products of our genetics or childhood, when it’s time to ring the wedding bells do we still have that personal choice to choose “who am I – as a bride?” Read the rest of this entry »
A Wedding Gift of Tolerance for Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky
In Clinton, Converting religions, couples, feminism, feminist bride, Groom, independence, marriage, nuptials, relationships, Religion, The Feminist Bride, Tolerance, wedding ceremony on July 29, 2010 at 7:30 pmChelsea Clinton is expected to marry Marc Mezvinsky on July 31 at Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, N.Y.; and in addition to
wondering when, where and who will be in attendance, people want to know if Chelsea, the daughter of Hilary Clinton, a Christian Methodist (and staunch feminist) and Bill Clinton, a Southern Baptist, will convert to her fiancé’s religion of conservative Judaism. Regardless of her decision, the question is unfair and one-sided because no one is posing the same question to Mezvinsky – will he convert for her?
The Last Hurrah
In Bridesmaids, couples, feminism, feminist bride, girlfriend, Groom, independence, marriage, relationship health, relationships, sexuality, stigma, The Feminist Bride, Tolerance on June 15, 2010 at 2:43 amIt’s the last call, the final mile, and the end of an era. It’s the time you spend saying goodbye to singlehood: It’s the bachelor/bachelorette party.
It’s a night that strikes fear into the hearts of many a young lover – where fiancés disappear in the night to sow wild oats; where irresistible strippers spread their legs for the almighty dollar; where “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is more than just a motto, it’s a credo; and where the ability to remember the night’s events is worn either as a medal of honor or as a sign of disgrace.
Read the rest of this entry »
Marriage: Keeping it in the Family
In Affairs, couples, feminist bride, History, Illegitimate heir, love child, marriage, nuptials, pregnancy, psychology, relationship health, relationships, Religion, sexuality, stigma, The Feminist Bride, Tolerance on June 9, 2010 at 6:01 amAfter consummating their marriage, the parents of one of my oldest friends discovered in family charts that they are in fact 23rd cousins, twice removed. They remain happily married to this day. While twenty-three degrees of separation seems like a big enough number to continue sleeping soundly in a joint bed, the cultural acceptance of relationships with only a few degrees of separation is just too close for comfort for most. Despite cultural taboos and legal barriers, the heart of the matter lies in the fact that affectionately entwined bloodlines have played a massive role in shaping history and culture throughout human history.
Garter Go or Garter Stay?
In boyfriend, feminism, feminist bride, Groom, History, marriage, nuptials, relationships, sexuality, The Feminist Bride, wedding ceremony on April 22, 2010 at 5:52 am
Portrait of American exploitation film director, writer, producer, editor, and actor Russ Meyer (1922 - 2004) with his new wife actress Edy Williams as they pose by a tree during their wedding reception, June 27, 1970. (Photo by Frank Edwards/Getty Images)
Ever watched a groom disappear under the layers of lace and chiffon of a bride’s dress? He’s searching for the promise of an exciting wedding night, while guests wonder what’s really going on as his head is between the bride’s legs. With a drum roll he emerges triumphant, garter in his teeth, smiling. On such an innocent and pure occasion, the garter symbolizes the unspoken privilege of marriage – sex, sex and more sex. It’s a brazen implication in front of family, coworkers and maybe a religious official. But as guests grin and gasp in amusement or feigned horror, one has to wonder, is the garter really appropriate for a wedding?