MovieChat Forums > My Fair Wedding (2008) Discussion > This show kind of bothers me.

This show kind of bothers me.

posted 14 years ago by SpaceBasketCase
22 replies | jump to latest

I've got some real issue with how this show seems to use so called "poor brides" for it's advantage. It seems like every new episode the brides dress, decor and venue are labeled "tacky" because they don't have a $10,000 price tag. These brides are convinced that what they were planning for their wedding isn't "good enough" and that the only way a wedding is worthwhile is if it's $500,000+.

Granted, I'm sure the women who apply to be on the show are looking for exactly that, and can't afford it. But I just think that having a beautiful and meaningful wedding shouldn't have to cost the GDP of a small country.

[–] mommy4thomas2002 14 years ago

David does not show prejudice on things that cost less. It is simiply a matter of taste. Which obviously, most people on the show lack. David had oftentimes kept some of the bride's orginal aspects of the wedding such as the gown, bridemaids dresses, or venue. I've seen him do all three. I don't think you watch the show enough to make an informed opinion. A tasteful wedding CAN be done for 10 grand, I have seen it happen. It is HOW the vision comes together, not the cost. A bride can hunt for bargins on the net or at real stores. There are hundreds of bridal magazines, books and websites. Every site, book and magazine I have ever seen has at least one article or chapter dealing with budget-friendly weddings. With all this information out there, why is it some brides still go for the cheese effect and buy tacky 1.00 items at the dollar tree for a wedding? One more thing, David helps these bride's achieve the vision they have in their heads but was unable to. He makes it chhesive and beautiful. Not many peopel have a knack for it such as david does. If you must know, he was a party planner before this and had a show on t.v. and put on fantastic parties that sometimes did not have a big budget. David is just a very creative person, and THAT is the heart of the show.

[–] SpaceBasketCase 14 years ago

No I've actually seen every episode, my opinion is quite informed. There haven't been that many anyway. I'm also in the middle of planning my own small wedding in NYC and helping my brother plan his larger, formal affair outside of the city, so I have a lot of knowledge of the current pricing system in the market David is using.

Taste is a matter of opinion. If you're having a backyard BBQ wedding with Hawaii themed plates from the dollar store, is that "tasteless"? It's as if casual were tacky or lacking in taste. But these brides aren't out for that, they're out for something they can't afford. If they DID put the time and evergy into finding so called tasteful things on a budget, they wouldn't be on the show.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] SpaceBasketCase 14 years ago

Who cares?? The point is, why does the whole wedding industrial complex think they have to go aorund to every low-budgeted bride and tell them that what they're doing is "tacky"? It drives me absolutely insane.

Then again, these brides ask for it, so they bring it upon themselves.

[–] moviegowwer 14 years ago

I agree with the OP. For example, his hate of things that are FAKE. One of the reasons people choose FAKE is because of cost. The decorations and floral arrangements that he chooses are also quite expansive. I think its a very entertaining show but I think people would be really surprised to look at a side by side cost comparison of the couple's wedding and his makeover wedding.
Like I said, I love the show. But the fact is his makeovers would be expensive.
Low budget doesn't mean tacky but, when the average bride compares their wedding to TV weddings there is sticker shock.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] discotrash1119 14 years ago

I agree with the orginal poster. I have often watched the show and thought the same thing. Sure, some of the brides don’t have very good ideas and can use a whole lot of help, but I’ve seen some brides that were doing a pretty OK job—and David comes in and changes EVERYTHING! But like you said, these brides asked for it, so they got what they wanted.

David would have hated my wedding. I got married on Halloween and did a fall theme (photo album here: http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding/UserViewPhotoAlbum?wid=2ba956318231d3a9). My venue was kind of pricy, so we had to cut corners elsewhere. I had fake flowers and saved a ton of money. My centerpieces were carved pumpkins (the fake kind from the craft store—but they looked great with the lights in the venue dimmed and flikering LED lights in them—you couldn’t tell they were fake unless the lights were bright) that I got on sale for about $9 each and I carved them myself (took a lot of time!). My gown was from eBay (after alterations I only paid $435). The bridesmaids gowns were from David’s Bridal (I’ve recognized some “before” BM gowns on MFW as being styles from DB). I actually used the same lighting vendor that was featured in one of the shows (Synergetic Sounds from Philly), but in order to have a nice venue and lighting, I had to make sacrifices elsewhere. That is where the “fake” stuff comes in. Not all brides have the $$$ to have everything be top of the line on their big day—some things have to be priorities, and some things have to take the back burner.

I think it’s sad that the average middle class bride planning her big day watches these shows and might see something she thought was ok ridiculed as being “tacky.” I would LOVE to know the price tags on the “before weddings” and the “after weddings”. The average person cannot afford to have 12,000 fresh red roses at their reception for instance.

[–] jabell 14 years ago

I think David has had some brides who have done quite well on their limited budgets, and he admits that. And several times he has had the brides keep their gowns, if only for the ceremony and not for the reception. But I've seen bridesmaids looking ghastly (does the phrase "stuffed sausage" come to mind?) in colors never before seen in nature. I've seen horrid venues (which, admittedly, is all the couple can afford). BUT I don't like where he takes some of these weddings--they look more like faux Hollywood parties than like wedding receptions. The cakes he gets, however, are all magnificent, and I'll bet the food is, too. I'm not sure why he has the bride & often the maids as well change into "party dresses" for the reception. If a bride is wearing something in which it would be impossible to dance, like traditional Asian wear, that's understandable. But it seems like a waste of money to me.

Once on Platinum Weddings a bride had SIX dresses--for the wedding, the reception, "going away," the shower, the rehearsal dinner, and a bridesmaids' lunch. The least expensive was $5000, the most expensive $50,000!

I'd like to see him do a wedding for someone who hasn't been living with the groom, doesn't have one or more kids with him, and is maybe a little more educated, say a schoolteacher or policewoman or social worker or similar. And who wants a church ceremony!

Boo Hoo! Let me wipe away the tears with my PLASTIC hand!--Lindsey McDonald (Angel)

[–] Joan_of_Snark 14 years ago

"I'd like to see him do a wedding for someone who hasn't been living with the groom, doesn't have one or more kids with him, and is maybe a little more educated, say a schoolteacher or policewoman or social worker or similar. And who wants a church ceremony!"

So only people who you deem worthy deserve to be on the show?!

And he has done weddings in churches.

[–] jabell 14 years ago

Their weddings cost a lot of money, and I do believe that people should (1) get married before the babies come or (2) have small weddings afterward. I guess I'm old fashioned.

And he has done ceremonies in churches, but not many. Although I have to admit that many of the others were still religious services. I'm Catholic, however, and we are basically obligated to be married in a church.

Boo Hoo! Let me wipe away the tears with my PLASTIC hand!--Lindsey McDonald (Angel)

[–] Joan_of_Snark 14 years ago

I think there is something to be said for being more fiscally responsible when there are children involved. But hey, who knows what their finances are? And even so, I'm not sure it is any of the viewer's business. Not our weddings, not our family, not our kids.

[–] discotrash1119 14 years ago

"Their weddings cost a lot of money, and I do believe that people should (1) get married before the babies come or (2) have small weddings afterward. I guess I'm old fashioned."

" I think there is something to be said for being more fiscally responsible when there are children involved. But hey, who knows what their finances are? And even so, I'm not sure it is any of the viewer's business. Not our weddings, not our family, not our kids."

YES YOU ARE old fashioned! LOL! Everyone is entitled to have the kind of wedding they want, as long as they can afford it.
And to the pp...I totally agree, it's not our business, and these ppl aren't paying for these weddings anyway, the show is.

[–] WhiteHeron 12 years ago

That's not "old-fashioned" and millions of Americans would disagree with you. What you mean is you just don't like traditional values, but that doesn't make them old-fashioned or worthy of your disdain

[–] mph1-3 13 years ago

I'm old fashioned too, jabell- and proud of it!!

[–] meowbark_9899 12 years ago

I can agree that it would be ideal for two people to get married before they have kids, but sometimes things happen that aren't meant to. My sister, for example, got pregnant with her first son, who is 10 now, when she was senior in high school and had him the October after she graduated. Yes, she should have been more careful, but there's nothing we could do about it after the fact and now we have a beautiful, smart kid in the family. She also has another daughter who is 7 and a 6 month son now. But you know what? She's been with their father since she was 15--she's 28 now. They just got married about 2 years ago--years after they had their first son and daughter. They did get married at the Justice of the Peace because they couldn't afford an actual wedding and they felt that they didn't need anything bigger than that. They didn't get married before the kids and they still have a great relationship. As I said, this isn't ideal for a lot of people, but I don't think there's anything wrong with couples who have kids first.

Also--just a thought about the church thing. Maybe the couples he plans weddings for on the show don't want church weddings. I mean, I don't want to get married in a church when I get married. It just might not be for everyone.

Nothing wrong with being old-fashioned though. I actually think it's kind of nice when people still hold to old-fashioned kind of values--good for you for being strong with how you feel. Oh and love the Angel tag--such a good show. :)

[–] hroswitha10 12 years ago

He has done weddings for more educated women and their spouses, and for women with more conventional lives than those who have lived with their eventual husbands prior to marriage. I have greatly appreciated those shows in which he concentrated on women of limited means who aren't those beautiful people in the magazines. Women who don't wear a size 8, have glasses, and weren't raised knowing the difference between the various kinds of forks on the table. Sometimes his method of teaching them may seem a little condescending, but I've noticed in 2010 and 2011, he does less of this or, if he does it, it happens off camera.

Where I have trouble is with the merchandising on this show. I don't mind the nods to all the vendors - I LOVE seeing Lauri of Cake Alchemy on this show - and I can even feel okay when Tutera hawks his own line of dresses or rings. A boy has to make a living. But the recent partnership with Disney makes me a bit queasy. WETV just showed an hour long commercial for Disney weddings which included couture designs by Tutera priced more moderately (I think they started at fifty grand). I like Disney - this isn't even about them - but this was an advertisement lightly disguised as entertainment. I'm not sure why I felt so appalled by the program, but there it is.

Perhaps it's knowing that they're selling weddings that, in the words of another poster on this forum, equals the GDP of a small nation. For a party. And that wouldn't include the cost of airfare or hotel accommodations for guests. I just don't know people so very shallow as to spend that kind of dough on food, flowers, and a dress. Not to mention, a party inside the Concrete Kingdom, where everything except the price tag is fake.

The Purple Princess wedding was, of course, my least favorite of all the episodes I've seen.

[–] starline 12 years ago

" I'd like to see him do a wedding for someone who hasn't been living with the groom, "

How do we know they're all living together? When the episode opens we met both the bride and groom... so they have to be in the same place at the same time. Maybe sometimes they aren't necessarily living together... but the groom comes to her place for this introduction.

[–] Cosmic_Cre 14 years ago

Okay, it's not as if the show is barging in on these women's lives without their knowledge or consent. This isn't drive-by wedding planning. THEY called HIM because they didn't exactly know how to make the image that's in their heads of what they want their wedding to be come true. And what in the heck does budget have to do with the show anyway? They aren't using the bride's money anyway, the show is paying for all or most of it(some of the brides-to-be have already bought some of their stuff and want to keep what they like). Nowhere did I see that this was suppose to be a show on how to do a wedding on a budget. I'm thinking of it as "Pimp My Ride" for weddings.

Charlie Murphy!! *punch*

- Dave Chappelle as Rick James

[–] kay_cee_d 14 years ago

Well...the girls call him because they know their wedding isn't the greatest. And he pays for everything. And the girls get acces to things they couldn't have afforded before. And in the end they're all 2000 times happier than they were at the start.

He's a wedding planner, he knows better than they do what will look nice and what won't. He's the authority. If things are working, he'll keep them. If they aren't...he won't. He does this for a living, he's not being an a**hole, he's helping people get their dream weddings instead of having to settle.

Check out my Blog: http://heckyeahheckno.wordpress.com/
Twitter: HeckYeahHeckNo

[–] Eric_s_Angel 13 years ago

exactly it is not like he drives around looking for brides they call him.

And you can have a nice wedding on any budget .I had a small family only(60 people) wedding and paid less than $6,000

"Josef Konstantin: You've never been chased by a torch-bearing mob."

[–] legallyblonde254 12 years ago

This show does kind of bother me because it is putting out the message that if your wedding is less than $100,000, then it's tacky and not worth putting on. I believe that you can have a nice wedding on a budget. However, these brides do ask for his help and they don't really have to pay for it, so if they want it their way, then that's awesome! I think every bride deserves the day she wants to have, whether it's on a budget or a platinum wedding.

[–] Cosmic_Cre 10 years ago

Not once has the show mentioned anything about money equaling a great wedding. That has absolutely nothing to do with his critiques. It's about lack of style, organization or a coherent thought.

The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated.