To Be or Not to Be a Bridezilla

(photo courtesy of brideorama.com)

Last night, Michael and I got into a conversation about what it means to be a bridezilla. I mean, after all, everyone keeps saying, "It's your day, you should have things like you want them." This is usually said after I've worried about hurting someone's feelings, etc. So, I asked Michael where the line is on when someone is just being a "normal" (and are any ever really that way?) bride and a bridezilla since both want things the way they want them. Michael thinks every woman is pretty much a bridezilla because there is no black and white in the definition due to perception. Great. So no matter how much you may not want to be seen as such, someone will think that's what you are. (sigh)

So, today during my office hours, I have been looking up the term. There is actually a bridezilla website. It's been interesting to look at and some things seem extreme but there is also some really good advice mixed in too. Well, on there they have the following for the definition:

Bridezilla Defined

"Webster's Definition: Bridezilla\ bride-zil-a n 1 Horrific, bulging-eyed bride prone to screaming spells and spontaneous fits of hysterical rage. Bridezillas are known to drop blows over seating charts, get bug-eyed at the mere mention of carnations and view hurling champagne at their wedding planners as a form of hazing.

Bridezilla.com's Definition: Bridezilla\bride-zil-a n 1 Exceptionally attractive, confident women who know what they want and can't be bothered to sugar coat because they are obviously on 100 calorie- a- day microbiotic diets and can't even sneak a pack of Splenda if their life depends on it. Bridezillas are both blessed and cursed with a higher vision of perfection than most mediocre, David's Bridal wearing, Gerber daisy carrying mortals and have no choice but to impart this vision exactly to the masses. It is this motive that drives them to demand nothing less than excellence from their staff-err, wedding party.

In short, some people say bridezillas are bat-crazy man-hating Stepford brides. We say potato, potahto."

KFOR.com defines says "Bridezillas is a name coined in 1995. It's slang, but there's an official definition. It’s a bride to be who focuses so much on the event that she becomes difficult and obnoxious."

Then there is the publisher's explanation of the book, "Bridezilla: True Tales From Etiquette Hell": "A wedding can bring out the best in a person but often brings out the worst. A bride, in particular, seems most susceptible to mutating into a beast no family member or friend can recognize because a magical ring was placed on the third finger of her left hand. By definition, a Bridezilla describes a subspecies of a bride-to-be who believes her wedding day is "her day," that she is princess for the day, that the world owes her, and that her every desire and whim for the "perfect wedding" is to be catered to instantly and subserviently by friends, family, and vendors under threat of thermonuclear meltdown."

From all of this, I guess we can say that being a bridezilla is when a woman has an extreme reaction to either being the bride or a minor event. Even then we could argue over what that means cause some stress is justifiable. Actually, there are variations on the zilla part for everyone involved. So, let's just say that if you're making someone miserable for no good reason (and is there ever a good reason to make someone that way?) at this event, you're being a zilla.

I took a quiz on iVillage and this is what it said that I was a "Low-Key Bride". Flare.com's test says that I am "The Peacemaker". WE tv says I'm an "Average Bride". Well, I'm trying to be, that's for sure. Yeah, I have the blog for us but that keeps things easy and fun (hope). Hard not to when everyone is scattered to the four winds. Hopefully it will stay easy. (snort) Stop laughing all of you NOW. The Bridezilla moment has now passed, you may conrinue about your day. Oh wait, that was one too, wasn't it? ;o)