Lisa Valder
Once in your life (or maybe more), you'll plan a wedding. Hopefully.
But if you'd like to relive--or just vicariously experience--the excitement and anxiety of those jittery premarital weeks, watch one of many reality shows that revolve around wedding planning. They're plentiful as rice, at this point numbering more than a dozen across the networks CMT, WE, TLC, VH1 and the Style Network. And starting tomorrow, Style is inviting us all to their White Wedding weekend. Beginning at noon on Saturday, Dec. 19, through Monday, Dec. 21, you can watch one high-maintenance bride after the other, each freaking out in her own way.
The weekend's highlight? The one-hour special edition of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? Bride Vs. Groom, airing Saturday night at 9 PM ET. While many women struggle to get grooms interested in wedding planning, the Baltimore woman spotlighted in this show has been trying to get her groom to just butt out. He wants an outdoor jungle safari theme, with African drums and traditional garb; but she wants a classic white dress, tiered cake, and an elegant dining room. Neither is willing to compromise, so they do the next best thing: Fight to win, reality TV-style.
Over the course of the episode, they compete in challenges both physical (a relay race) and mental (a Newlyweds Show-type trivia game) to determine wedding choices such as attire and venue. Each has an event-planning coach. "Marriage is compromise, but many times, marriage is war," says Ana Cruz, the Miami event planner who's helping the groom. "And you two are about to go into battle."
It's a teensy bit unsettling watching two betrothed people pitted against one another. "My game face is on," says the bride. "He's about to go down, and I hope he knows that." The thing is, once married, they'll have to learn to work together--let's hope she knows that!
Plus: Here Comes Another Wedding Reality Show
Do you find it unsettling to pit a bride and groom against each other? Chime in below!
