07.10.12
- Danniele Meglen, MTV Insights
When I began to brainstorm ideas of what I wanted my wedding to look like, I wondered (both as an MTV researcher and as a Millennial myself) how my approach might be symptomatic of truths about my generation. Here’s what I came up with….my big Millennial wedding:
1. To start, I’m one of those Millennials…someone who thought life could only continue to get better and better based on the 1990s, funded my #1 choice for college using big loans only to see my dad’s 21-year career with a company come to a screeching halt. Needless to say, a dowry-less wedding.
2. Like my generational cohorts, my rents are my best friends. Although they are contributing but not fully funding the nuptials, their involvement is still paramount to me. I’m even forgoing the Catholic tradition of dad giving me away for both my parents to walk me down the aisle.
3. I married my high school sweetheart. But we took a 6-year hiatus from each other after high school to “self-actualize,” then reconnected just a few years ago. First become who you are, then level up in the game of life.
4. I’m designing a one-of-a-kind wedding reflecting our brand of couplehood. Inspiration: obviously Pinterest and Etsy. Result: Retro Hollywood Glamour with a twist. My centerpieces are not floral arrangements but centerpieces filled with plumes of white ostrich feathers. I will, of course, DIY design the save-the-dates, the invitations, programs, and all other creative aspects of the wedding that reflect our DNA.
5. Lack of funds has not stopped us from being super creative and getting exactly what we want. We got the space we wanted for a steal by going with a Friday night as opposed to the traditional Saturday wedding. I competed in the annual Filene’s Basement “Running of the Brides” and was able to score a $3,000 designer wedding dress for $300. I even bought a Gilt City deal for my favor bags.
6. I’m crowd-sourcing opinions. “Anyone have suggestions on where I should get my dress altered in Chicago?” on my Facebook Wall opens a barrage of “helpful” comments. Don’t think I haven’t tried to figure out a Kickstarter way to fund this one too.
7. I went paperless with RSVP’ing through our wedding website. The idea was the straw that broke my Boomer mom. How would grandpa RSVP? I reluctantly conceded, offering an old school phone number. We’re using smartphones as cameras at the reception and have created an app through AppyCouple that allows guests to directly upload pictures taken at the event. The app is where our album will live.
With just two months to go, there’s no telling what the future will bring for our Millennialized wedding. Will food trucks arrive catering in gourmet munchies and provide our guests a ride home to the hotel? Will our happily-ever-after photos be converted into memes the next morning? Maybe not… but in any case, we’re excited for all the ways we’re making our day truly our own. Stay tuned for the rundown on our honeymoon!
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