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Does that Vera Wang come in two-ply?

Full disclosure: I've written for several wedding magazines in the past, stringing together phrases like "luxe tulle skirt," "spirited black and white photography" and "rose-festooned balconettes" for the anxious consumption of female readers who have been instructed by writers like me that the fortitude and happiness of their marriage hinge on lavish wedding ceremonies outfitted with 6-foot-high arbors made entirely of orchids. The flip side of this shiny coin, however, is that if they do buy in to this fantasy, they are mocked for being mindless Bridezillas, stupid enough to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a glorified theme party. (In a recession, no less!) That's the case in Jennifer 8. Lee's New York Times blog post from the luxury bridal convention known as the Wedding Salon, where she brings us such admittedly crazy details as this: "Not content with ice sculptures anymore, weddings are ordering martini bars made entirely of ice. And lest you not forget the pet, Ms. Byron said she has been seeing doggy wedding veils and dresses for pets who are incorporated into the wedding." But there's good news: The bridal-industrial complex has its own kryptonite -- toilet paper wedding gowns! For half the cost of a midweek grocery trip, 10 women undermined the concept that weddings are about spending tons of money and then getting mocked for it (clearly weddings are about the open bar). All the dresses were constructed out of no more than 16 rolls, which, incidentally, is the amount of T.P. needed to wipe away the load of crap that the wedding industry dumps on women each year.

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Quote of the day
Sen. Barbara Boxer on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
What's that smell?
Scented candles for men will bring the fragrance of urinal cakes into your home at last.
Should Obama have picked Hillary?
Did the GOP just co-opt the Democrats' chance at making history? Sarah Palin, a conservative, antiabortion, pro-NRA Republican may just be the first woman in the White House.

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