31 out of 31 people found this review helpful.
Everything I hope my wedding (and marriage) won't be
Date of Review: Apr 4, 2000
When people ask me, "So, what are you thinking of doing for your wedding?" I sometimes say, "OK, pick up the most recent copy of Modern Bride and reverse every single concept in it."
This magazine -- oh, excuse me, this collection of advertisements which they inexplicably make people pay for -- is presumably targeted towards *modern brides*, though you wouldn't know it from thumbing through the pages. If you can locate any editorial content (which is a challenge), you will find it to be hopelessly outdated, strangely prudish, and impractical. Features push couture goods, and advice columns are surreal and rarely interested in anything but making weddings fit into a "perfect wedding" mold, as marketed by Hallmark.
Yet despite the $300 shoes that the editors enthuse about, the dress advertisements are rather chintzy. I purchased this magazine to look at dresses, knowing full well that it was riddled with advertisements, but I was completely disappointed in this aspect of the magazine as well. I may be an oddity in my desire for a simple, unadorned gown, but non-sequined gowns do not exist in the Modern Bride world. Yes, at least 50% of the gowns are confection-esque, and will not be appealing to women who are looking for plain, modern lines. I did see a few eye-catching gowns in the feature fashion stories, but in a sometimes 1000 pg.+ magazine, these 8 or 9 pages really don't make it worth the cover price. However, if you are looking for a moderately priced gown with all the bells & whistles, you may be rewarded here.
A significant portion of the "editorial content" is devoted to promoting the idea of registering for gifts, which is another disappointment. I found some pretty things, but registering is, in suburban & rural areas especially, driven by local department stores, and so the spreads on china patterns are pretty useless. Plus, I figure, how hard is it to pick out nice looking plates? I don't need 50 pages of advice on looking at housewares.
All in all, this magazine is a real disappointment. Thank goodness for Martha Stewart Weddings.
