Wedding culture is out of hand. Seriously. When did it become a societal standard to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on one day of your relationship with someone? I get that you want to have a beautiful day that starts off the rest of your life on a magical note, but what if even one thing goes wrong? Then you’ll forever remember that day as the day you spent $100,000 on a dinner party that had dry, unseasoned chicken.

Most little girls daydream and fantasize about their perfect wedding day from an obscenely young age. Come on, does no one else find it disturbing that 7 and 8-year-olds are planning out the details of their wedding?

I am 100% on board with the argument that age is just a number, and anyone of any age can feel and comprehend any emotion, given their personal experiences. That being said, I still think that pre-pubescence is too young to be deciding whether or not they’ll serve chicken or salmon.

And also, how generic? Why not serve a themed dinner, or a meal that means something to you and your future spouse? Every wedding in existence, ever, has served chicken or salmon. If you’re gonna spend thousands of dollars on the creation of a memory, be original, ladies (and gents).

I didn’t start thinking about what my wedding would be like until my early teens when I started watching shows like "Say Yes To The Dress" and "Four Weddings" (both incredibly entertaining shows that I still indulge in). And even then, I refuted the idea of a wedding. I distinctly remember telling my mom that I would NEVER get married, because marriage is dumb and you can love someone without being legally contracted to them.

My views on marriage since then have shifted, slightly, and I do wish to get married someday — but I think that’s because I’ve found someone who I wouldn’t mind being legally bound to. It has nothing to do with the image, status, “clout” of having a wedding; it has to do with the love that I feel and give and wanting to share that love forever.

(But, I still make jokes about only wanting to get married so my guests will buy fancy kitchen appliances for us, and nothing gets my heart racing like the sight of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.)

In the aforementioned shows, weddings are seen and portrayed by the brides as symbols of status. The flashier the dress, the better the wedding. The bigger the buffet, the better the wedding. The more talented the DJ, the better the wedding. But what about the love?

There is something to be said about a small ceremony and reception. There is something to be said about NO ceremony or reception. There is something to be said about spending decades of your life with someone with no title, or strings, attached. And, there is something to be said for loving many people over your lifetime, or loving just yourself for your whole life.

So, yeah, marry your partner. Throw a party. Do what you need to do to validate your love for one another, and I guess if that means spending $15,000 on a bedazzled satin dress with a tulle underskirt — more power to ya. But don’t lose sight of the reason why you’re about to say “I do.”