<p>Wow. So much anger for just an opinion. This wedding cost $3M when people are starving. </p>
<p>You did not hear Hillary’s speech at Barnard when she said responsibility to the world is the most important thing for young women to think about, not themselves.</p>
<p>I am asking her to live by her own words.</p>
<p>And I had ten people and a wedding for $400.00 and did donate $500.00.</p>
<p>She IS secretary of state.</p>
<p>And if you don’t feel that way, fine. But why acrimony and anger? I don’t understand.
I was feeling uncomfortable.</p>
<p>As for my H’s profession, yes, he does discourage folks from spending over their budget, etc. etc. and does so much pro bono photographer. Hillary benefits were among them. We are democrats and have met her many times. Our local Democratic committee is very active and run by a billionaire.</p>
<p>The $3 million estimate is nonsense made up by newspaper writers who figured out the absolute most each aspect of the wedding could possibly cost, and added it all up. I’ve seen other, far more reasonable-sounding estimates of about $200,000. Still a lot, and 10 times what my own wedding cost back in 1987 (I barely remember the event – I’ve blocked it out – but I remember that, as well as the fact that it was about 100 degrees at the end of May), but hardly out of line for wealthy people. I’ve heard of people spending that much on bar mitzvahs, horrifying as that sounds. Besides, as others have pointed out, I’m quite sure that all the people who benefited from the Clintons’ expenditure, however much it was, are very happy for it. Isn’t spending money supposed to be good for the economy? And does anyone really think that the Clintons don’t also give to charity?</p>
<p>None of us has any idea what was spent on the wedding. The estimates are nothing more that guesses. For example, folks can “guess” what the venue cost but no one knows if the owners even charged them a dime or not. Even if we know what certain things would have cost other people, we have no idea what the Clinton’s paid.</p>
<p>mythmom – but the Clintons didn’t spend over their budget. The cost of their photographer is to them likely similar to what the cost of your husband as a photographer is to “average” folks. </p>
<p>I just think it’s a slippery slope to suggest that someone who is more well off than you (not you specifically, generic you) “should” spend their money specifically, or only buy a basic version of something and donate the rest to charity. Maybe you shouldn’t have sent your daughter to Barnard; that’s a luxury too – sent her to a state school and donated the difference to UNESCO. (I’m not saying that – I’m just saying, that’s where this train of thought heads.)</p>
<p>Wanting to shed a few pounds / get down to a certain weight, esp for a special occasion, is NOT the same thing as an eating disorder. Please don’t conflate the two.</p>
<p>Okay. I don’t appreciate all the preaching because I chose to express an opinion. I am a sixties baby and probably have slightly different values. Not saying they’re correct, but all I did was in one post express some musings.</p>
<p>I really can’t believe the amount of anger coming out of you all.</p>
<p>mythmom, I don’t get all the anger, either.</p>
<p>As a June mother-of-the-bride, my daughter knew what her budget was (considerably less than $3 million, or even $1 million). I watched her making smart decisions on where to save, where to spend - she bought a modestly-priced, nondesigner dress and ordered her invitations online so they could have an open bar and delicious food at the reception. </p>
<p>I can’t imagine having an unlimited budget for a wedding, and I’m not sure that my very practical daughter could even conceive of a way to spend that much money. But her upbringing has obviously been very different than Chelsea’s, and the expectations for her wedding were not so grand.</p>
<p>mythmom, I haven’t seen any anger. God knows I have more important things to get angry about! Rather, I’ve seen people expressing their opinions that you were being excessively critical, and that your criticism was based, in part, on a false factual assumption. If you are entitled to your opinions, so is everyone else.</p>
<p>I agree with mythmom. Everyone can express an opinion and every one is welcome to disagree. But if one does it in multiple posts and nitpicking particular sentences just seems like being on a bully pulpit. I’ve seen a lot of regular posters sign off on this forum because of this. Lighten up.</p>
<p>I don’t think what a family spends on a wedding suggests anything about that family’s values in terms of doing good for the world. What rule says if you’re Secretary of State and encourage others to do good for the world, you can’t spend X on your daughter’s wedding? Why can’t you do good and spend money on a child’s wedding? I don’t see that as hypocritical. The Clintons haven’t taken vows of poverty and it seems that they make charitable contributions–plus Bill created a non-profit foundation to work on various policy issues and make changes. He and Hillary have made money from the sale of their books and other endeavors since they left the White House and if spending $$ on their daughter’s wedding makes them happy, then so be it. It’s not hurting anyone and it certainly helped those involved in providing services for the wedding. </p>
<p>I don’t think the comments here are different than any others on this forum; some people have issues with the Clinton wedding. Others don’t–and so it goes.</p>
<p>^^I looked at the link but they are all “runway” dresses, the kind the designer traditionally uses to close the show. No one is expected to wear them IRL.</p>
<p>A few pages back someone asked if anyone wore their mother’s dress or had a D wear theirs. My oldest D wore mine from my first wedding and now it’s being preserved in case HER D wants to wear it. From the time she was a little girl that D said she wanted to wear my dress but I didn’t think she would as her taste is usually very different from mine.</p>
<p>silvervestersmom-
Why would they make runway dresses that no one will wear???</p>
<p>That said, check this out [HIDEOUS</a> All things heinous, trashy, and hilarious in weddings!](<a href=“http://tackyweddings.com/category/hideous/]HIDEOUS”>http://tackyweddings.com/category/hideous/) scroll down to the “Tacky Sydney wedding” - with the pink hummer limo. I believe she is wearing one similar to # 16 of the runway dresses (the one with the cutaway in the front). </p>
<p>There was also a “santa claus” wedding dress and a klingon wedding party. Am looking for those again.True gems</p>
<p>jym, thank goodness my dh didn’t see those Klingon outfits before our wedding. As it is, we had a Star Trek-themed groom’s cake. Argh.</p>
<p>I think the Chelsea eating thing comes from a recent report on Entertainment Tonight saying she had started a mega-strenuous exercise routine in the weeks leading up to the ceremony.</p>
[Pictures:</a> Ugly wedding dresses -