Many important things happened in 1947.I was born, for one thing, so I notice these things about 1947. It was also the first year of Filene's Basement's "Running Of the Brides."
Having grown up in Massachusetts, how have I lived this long without ever hearing about Running Of the Brides?
I ran into a special about it channel surfing recently. In case I'm not the only one who had never
heard of it--they started holding the event in Boston once a year, and now I think it's twice, plus yearly in their other stores. $1000 to $10,000 wedding dresses for $299, $499, and $699. Brides line up at the door in the wee hours with their teams of power shoppers, and when the doors open, they dash for dresses. The idea is to grab as many as you can first. When the dresses are gone from the racks, brides try dresses on, and then the trading begins.
It sound like a madhouse, and it is, but I have a feeling it's an experience that turns out to be almost as memorable as the wedding. For better or for worse. You can see clips on YouTube and there's at least one bride's diary at
About.com/weddings, but Google will get you there. If you run across the show--it's a one shot special--great for any wedding fan.
I'm such a curmudgeon when it comes to the money people spend on stuff like weddings and proms these days, but I'm also a romantic. I've mentioned here before that I learned the answer to the Why Weddings? question when our daughter got married. My own wedding was typical Boomer flower child in many ways--spent very little because I was marrying "the wrong guy" and my parents didn't attend. Clyde's family--the whole community, really--put on our wedding. What I love about weddings is each unique story, and so many little details from our daughter's wedding went into a book (ONCE UPON A WEDDING, featured in TODAY'S PRIZE).
So how did "Running Of the Brides" get past me all these years? I wasn't into weddings. And then I was. It was all about my little girl. Oh, my goodness, you should see us create "wedding fashion" at the Eagle's nest with the 6 and 4 year old granddaughters and Nana's bag of dress-up fabric.
Anyone remember the reality show with the couple getting a planner, something like $5000, and a week to plan, but they have to stay out of it and let the their chosen team make the wedding? I'm so bad with titles, but I liked that show. Again, the story. I can't do "Bridezillas." Those girls need some serious education. And Platinum Weddings, Celeb weddings? No story appeal for me.
What about you? Talk weddings with us.
I'll draw a name from the comments to this post and send that visitor an autographed copy of ONCE UPON A WEDDING and this lovely hankie from my collection of vintage hankies (which got started as a result of my "wedding awakening"). This one features delicate handwork, and it would be perfect for bride. It's something old!
Okay, I'm a little late posting this morning, but I had to watch the game and the postgame and the post-post game last night.
How about those Celtics!
