I have to agree that the wedding business is a little over-healthy. If Q's family hadn't been a bit more traditional (and thus willing pay to have things be a bit more traditional), I doubt we'd have gone that route. It's a great day, but it IS one day! I was pleased that even tho I did have to have certain traditional elements, we really made the day ours. We sang to each other during the ceremony, we started the reception with a horah (sp?) even tho it wasn't a Jewish wedding, we danced down the aisle after the ceremony... little things. Just little things.
Those shows... man, when I was planning my wedding, I avoided them at all costs, cause those women just scare me! Those people daydream about what their wedding will be like their whole lives, before they ever meet that person... *shudder* I never did. It just didn't occur to me.
I like the minister-friend thing... we got one of our old college professors ordained so he could marry us. (I'm/he's not religious, and why would I/he want a stranger to do such a personal thing???)