In the beginning there was the wedding ceremony. Well, maybe I am going a bit too far, but I am sure Adam and Eve did not have a wedding planner, so why does the modern American bride depend so heavily on one? If you asked a Dutch person this question, they would probably look at you right in the eye and exclaim most gently, "We don't see them as necessary here in the Netherlands."
I was recently interviewed in the grand lounge of the First Klas Restaurant in Amsterdam's famous Central Station. As munchers greedily chomped down on delicious sandwiches and cocktails nearby, these two bright college girls settled in to grill me about the wedding planning process across the waters. What was so interesting to me was their marketing assignment to find out why Wedding Planning fails miserably here in Holland. We discovered much about each other's cultures, and even more about ourselves in this interview.
The general consensus after tossing around a few facts about cost, time and energy to put on a Dutch wedding (which incidentally is not a really big deal in Holland for most people), we discovered the Rogue Element: The Mistress of Ceremonies. The name does sound fancy, and the position is fought over by all a girl's besties. But, while it is considered a position of honor in Dutch culture, I found this position to be more a job of serfdom than actual celebrity.
From what the girls told me, this woman, whomever she is, is soley responsible for making sure everyone has a great time and that the bride and her new hubby have a successful wedding day. She orders everything from cake to DJ, and eveything in between. She communicates the bride's wishes, even to the groom at times, and expects to be followed to the strictest rule of law. In the end, I was told that most MOC's end the night drunk and exhausted singing to themselves in a corner of the reception, but everyone understands why!
As Americans, we spend so much on the ritual before beginning a new life with someone. Most young American couples carry their wedding debt around for a few years. Some poor souls end up carrying the debt even past the divorce! What a world, what a world...
In the end I learned more about the not-quick-to-wed Dutch. They are just more relaxed about it. They save their money for the life ahead, and just get on with the beginning. Dutch marriages last much longer than American ones in general. Another reason to admire the Dutch sensibility, and take a hard look at the pomp of the American Wedding.
To throw a fantastic Bachelorette Party for your friends and family, Click here! Urban Aphrodite
I was recently interviewed in the grand lounge of the First Klas Restaurant in Amsterdam's famous Central Station. As munchers greedily chomped down on delicious sandwiches and cocktails nearby, these two bright college girls settled in to grill me about the wedding planning process across the waters. What was so interesting to me was their marketing assignment to find out why Wedding Planning fails miserably here in Holland. We discovered much about each other's cultures, and even more about ourselves in this interview.
The general consensus after tossing around a few facts about cost, time and energy to put on a Dutch wedding (which incidentally is not a really big deal in Holland for most people), we discovered the Rogue Element: The Mistress of Ceremonies. The name does sound fancy, and the position is fought over by all a girl's besties. But, while it is considered a position of honor in Dutch culture, I found this position to be more a job of serfdom than actual celebrity.
From what the girls told me, this woman, whomever she is, is soley responsible for making sure everyone has a great time and that the bride and her new hubby have a successful wedding day. She orders everything from cake to DJ, and eveything in between. She communicates the bride's wishes, even to the groom at times, and expects to be followed to the strictest rule of law. In the end, I was told that most MOC's end the night drunk and exhausted singing to themselves in a corner of the reception, but everyone understands why!
As Americans, we spend so much on the ritual before beginning a new life with someone. Most young American couples carry their wedding debt around for a few years. Some poor souls end up carrying the debt even past the divorce! What a world, what a world...
In the end I learned more about the not-quick-to-wed Dutch. They are just more relaxed about it. They save their money for the life ahead, and just get on with the beginning. Dutch marriages last much longer than American ones in general. Another reason to admire the Dutch sensibility, and take a hard look at the pomp of the American Wedding.
To throw a fantastic Bachelorette Party for your friends and family, Click here! Urban Aphrodite
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