If you live in the UK, I’m guessing you’ve been watching ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings'. How could you be interested in weddings and NOT watch this?
Channel 4, which broadcasts the TV show, describes it as a ‘Revealing documentary series that offers a window into the secretive, extravagant and surprising world of gypsies and travellers in Britain today.' It's a fascinating series in which the traveller way of life is portrayed as one of contrasts and extremes:
The travellers in the documentary marry young and have set gender roles – which wouldn't be out of place in the 1950s. The women cook and clean the caravans/houses and look after the children, while the men earn the money. The young traveller girls wear skimpy clothes, lots of make up and dance provocatively. However, they have very high morals, following the strict rules of accepted behavior around the opposite sex passed down from generation to generation. (Well the girls seem to, the boys get away with all sorts!) And the weddings, oh the weddings! They have to be seen to be believed.
Here are a few pictures to illustrate just how extravagant the weddings are:
Sam's Wedding (Season 2) complete with Jordan esque fairytale carriage and monster truck in the background.
Bridget's Fluorescent Wedding (Season 1) Pass the shades…
Bridget's Very Pink and Poufy Wedding (Coming up in Series 2)
It is pure car crash, cringe worthy TV but I must admit I do enjoy watching it, mainly for the OUTRAGEOUS wedding dresses and to learn a little more about a culture I know very little about. However, I feel uneasy about it…for the same reasons I feel uneasy about a website I discovered a few months ago called Tacky Weddings. The website's tagline is ‘All things heinous, trashy and hilarious in weddings'. This site is designed for people to upload photos of what they consider to be ‘Tacky Weddings', and visitors to laugh at them. To be fair, some of them are rather funny…
BUT I feel guilty for laughing.
Are we allowed to laugh at other people’s weddings? It’s just so horribly mean when you consider all the time and effort that goes into planning a wedding. And who sends the photos in to Tacky Weddings? What truly awful friends/wedding guests! They are the tacky ones.
A Demure Biker Wedding sent in to TackyWeddings.com
I feel sorry for the brides and grooms smiling away, obviously enjoying their special day and feeling at their most beautiful while others are judging them.
But aren’t we all guilty of that, on some level? For example when we are perusing unobtainable inspiration photoshoots on the gorgeous Style Me Pretty? Or even, dare I say it, when we attend real weddings? I know I sometimes think…’hmmmm not my cup of tea’ or ‘I would’ve chosen a different colour scheme’.
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and I really do believe that there is beauty to be found in every wedding. At Tackyweddings.com and in the ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' you just need to look a little bit harder to find it…
Best wedding wishes,
Elizabeth x
Is it just me, or do any of you feel guilty for finding other people's weddings funny?!
If you fancy a guilty giggle click here to see a fabulously tongue in cheek ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' inspiration board!
To find out more about ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' and/or watch episodes click here. There are some interesting comments in response to the TV program. Some from travellers themselves who feel they are not being represented fairly and that the program only focuses on an extreme subset of the traveller community.
