Inspired by the NBA playoffs

Make no mistake about it: wedding planning is a competition sport. It is a high stakes, no holds barred, winner take all slug fest that will break the spirit of even the strongest female. Sure, any self-respecting bride will feign ignorance, even repulsion, at the idea. But she’s only fooling herself. She knows that she’s in it to win it and nothing, not even a budget as tight as Star Jones’ skinny jeans, will stop her.

To be honest, most women probably don’t want the “happiest day of their life” to be a competition. How daunting to not only look your best, but to look better than every other bride’s best as well? And the food! Your reputation as a hostess lies in what you pray are the skilled and capable hands of a chef whose food you have only eaten once. But the kicker, the one thing that will either set your event apart or leave it dangling in the wind is the bar – open to be exact. Or so you hope. Otherwise, your big day could go down as a big no-no with the more “lush” of your guest list.

So what’s a bride to do? Give in to the pressure and declare an all-out assault on her personal sense of moderation (not to mention credit rating)? Or chuck up the deuces to the entire idea of a traditional wedding and elope in Vegas (which, honestly, might not be any better on her sense of moderation or credit rating)?

Me? I’m going to fight the good fight. I will throw a fabulous little shindig, traditional in some respects, not in others, and complete with all of things I find most important. The competition, so to speak, will be to see how happy I can make myself, not anyone else. Because, to be truthful, I know that the most important thing to my most important guests is a happy bride.

And an open bar.

Hopeless