Just like these commenters don’t know anything about Kristen Stewart, I don’t know anything about the commenters. While what I consider frivolous displays of wealth (in this economy?!) generally leave a bad taste in my mouth, I don’t hold any animosity toward people who want a big ceremony with the picture-perfect hair and makeup and nails that come with it. But, in my experience, criticism like what Stewart is getting tends to come from a place of jealousy. Jealousy that she doesn’t appear to have undergone months or years of stress and planning and cash dropping that we’ve been conditioned to believe are required in order to have a wedding. Jealousy that she seems to be having a great time, even though she doesn’t look like what you think a bride has to look like.
I am a person who tried for about three months to plan a wedding. I started spreadsheets and Pinterest boards and reached out to venues who kindly let me know they were already booked for the next two years but would be happy to receive a five-figure deposit for a ceremony in 36 months. Every single moment of that attempted planning piled on stress and anxiety as I tried to figure out what my and my partner’s version of a wedding would look like if we didn’t want to drop half a mortgage on a single day (or make all our own wine for the guests, as one post on the r/Weddingsunder$10K suggested as a “money saving tip”). Eventually, we both said “fuck this!” and have gone happily back to being technically engaged with no pressure to actually tie the proverbial knot.
But a wedding like Stewart’s and Meyer’s, who undoubtedly have amounts of money unimaginable to me and yet opted for an affordable-looking backyard ceremony, might be exactly the inspiration I needed. So I say thank you, Kristen, for forgoing the 12-month 85-appointment wedding beauty prep regimen that has become standard. You are a reminder that getting married can be, first and foremost, just about having a fun party with your best friends. And if you don’t have time for a root touchup beforehand? Who cares.
Don’t worry! If you do want to get your hair done for your wedding, we’ve got plenty of inspo:
