Does A Show Like Bridezillas Encourage Bad Behavior
It is already a problem that the wedding industry overly focuses on the bride. Cliches, such as Your Special Day and words such as Perfect, permeate advertisements and magazine covers.
Today, there is more information available to the bride than ever. Websites, blogs, and television shows. Many of the TV shows inspire and inform, offering a plethora of creative ideas and interesting perspectives. But what about Bridezillas on We TV?
Recognizing that any wedding show is entertainment, my question is still the same. Does the showcasing of brides-behaving-badly do anything but foster bad behavior? Understanding that much of ‘reality shows’ is not reality, but staged, does the wedding industry need brides-to-be watching a show that gives narcissistic, mean-spirited brides centerstage?
Your thoughts…
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog
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I cannot even watch this show. When a bride comes to me and tells me that she is totally a Bridezilla, I direct her towards other planners that may be a better fit.
I believe that this show, and the “egg-shell” treatment brides have gotten over the years, have all contributed to the recent increase in horrifying behavior of today’s brides.
What possible steps can be taken to remedy this?
Lara
Thanks for comments, Lara.
I would expect that many planners will share similar stories. It won’t surprise me.
Your reaction (whether one is a consultant, venue or vendor) should be everyone’s reaction: Reject the client.
Let’s face it, Bridezillas is an entertainment show. It would be easy to protest, directly to WE TV, but they might consider it great publicity. However, the channel does have other legitimate shows.
Mostly, the industry lacks a universal voice. There is no dominant industry association, yet.
I have some other ideas, but I’m not ready for announcement, just yet.
Keep checking in.
Andy
I have such a love hate relationship with the wedding industry! I love what I do for a living, both as a vendor specialist and as a photographer, but I can’t stand the stereotypical “It’s all about me!” bride.
I’ve met with two or three bridezillas as wedding photography client propects, and sometimes a half hour meeting is all it takes to realize I’m not the wedding photographer for them.
As a bride to be myself, I find the behaviour of select other brides appalling.
It seems like there are highs and lows with little middle ground now days. At least that is what I’ve been gathering with my site.
Either the brides are the sweetest people or they’re ruthlessly demanding.
All the best,
Sally
These type of brides make wedding professionals cringe. These brides should be ashamed of their behavior and how they are representing themselves and their families. I am just shocked.
This is where I would have canceled my contract with this bride. I have a cancellation clause in my contract. I have only had to use it once and I hope I never have to again.
One of the ways I address this “syndrome” with a bride is during our Initial Consultation. It is here that I politely and firmly educate the bride that her wedding day “is” and “isn’t” about her. From here I explain that while the day “is” about her and her grown, their love and the commitment they are about to make that will be witnessed by their family and friends, once the “I do’s” are done it “isn’t” about them any longer, but is now about their guests. I go on to explain that their reception is their first opportunity to be gracious host and hostess with their guests.
Once this statement is made I can generally tell whether we’ll be working with them or not, based on their reaction. If we happen to not be the “consultant” of choice, then we praise and thank God for dodging that bullet.
Renae
Compare the television shows in the 60 & 70’s to the shows now.
It’s no longer ‘Lassi’ or ‘the little house on the prairie’. It’s about how bad can we be. It started with the Soap Opras and just exploded and is totally out of control with reality TV.
We as a society seem to follow and behave as characters on television do. Divorces galore on TV, divorces are dime a dozen in real life. Explicit language on TV, listen to your kids and hear what they say when you are not around.