<p>I don’t see how this was over the top at al. Excepting security, the accoutrements seem pretty normal. A rehearsal dinner. A dinner. A hall. Catering. Bar. Photography. Music. Flowers. Gowns. Spare me the faux a wedding is outrageous if it’s more than I personally spent.</p>
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I’ve been around a long time - administrations of all stripes have been advising us to tighten our belts during economic downturns - which occur at regular intervals no matter which party is in office. I don’t expect we’ll ever know how much (of their own money, btw) the Clintons spent on Chelsea’s wedding. They don’t have to tell us, and I hope they never do. The speculations are just that - and how much credence can we place in estimates of between $2 million and $5 million? That’s a whole lotta territory.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine anyone finding any aspect of the wedding “tacky.” Just an unsophisticated one of the “folks” here, but everything I’ve seen or read about has been elegant and lovely. I know the Clintons will never be popular with a certain political segment, but I thought their detractors had enough other stuff to snark about.</p>
<p>People who can afford to spend should be encouraged to spend. I haven’t heard anyone suggest that multi-millionaires should tighten their belts. Besides, the Clintons probably only spent the amount of the tax cuts they received in '01 and '03. Isn’t that what he was supposed to do with the hundreds of thousands he didn’t have to pay the government?</p>
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<p>No agenda there at all, nosiree :-)</p>
<p>Of course, Jenna Bush didn’t have to rent a location because her family <em>already owned</em> a suitable location that is likely worth millions. Good for them – I don’t begrudge the Bushes their ranch in Texas one bit – but it’s a little disingenuous to say that someone’s more frugal because they’re using a location they already own.</p>
<p>I had a college roommate whose family owned the land / house next to the George Bush Sr family compound in Kennebunkport, ME. They held their wedding on the grounds of their family estate since they had room to accommodate several hundred people in tents in the backyard. It’s disingenuous to say that was frugality when their estate itself was worth a small fortune.</p>
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It’s their patriotic duty to spend. I think the Clintons did a wonderful thing (and I’m truly sorry that the owner of the estate is being such a jerk now) for the area and the state. It seemed a very loyal think to do.</p>
<p>But here’s the thing. They spent their OWN MONEY. That’s all anyone needs to know.</p>
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This is cute and not far from the truth.
Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky was indeed a Congresswoman from PA from 1993-1995. In 1993 she was the deciding vote for the “Clinton Economic Plan” and subsequently voted out of office.</p>
<p>She and her ex-husband Edward raised 11 children, four from his first marriage, two she had adopted prior to marriage, their two and three more adopted children while married.</p>
<p>Isn’t that what people were urged to do after 9/11, remember … come back to New York and spend (at the theater, in restaurants, etc.)?
I agree, zmom (no surprise). I wouldn’t care if it were the Bushes or the Clintons or the Obamas. Or Rush Limbaugh, who had a very expensive wedding featuring Elton John as the entertainment, IIRC. (Totally jealous! I love Elton John and if I only had the money to hire him for a special occasion, I would!) Their own money, earned honestly? Good for them.</p>
<p>I would hate to think that people were speculating about my spending and income and then judging my choices. No one really knows what is happening in someone elses bank account. If the Clintons or the Bushes can afford to pay $100,000 or $1,000,000 for a wedding it is all relative. Someone who makes $65,000 a year is going to have a different budget then someone who makes $650,000 and the next guy who makes $6,000,000 a year is making different choices. It doesn’t make anyone better or worse, at least I don’t think so.</p>
<p>Well, acm, some of the Clintons’ earnings have been made public. So I feel comfortable in saying that I believe they could afford to give their only child that beautiful wedding and we, as taxpayers, are in no danger of having to bail them out.</p>
<p>zooser- I agree with you I was thinking about everone who was criticizing the amounts! As long as I am not underwriting someones choices I feel like they should spend what they want!</p>
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It’s all a matter of choices, priorities and experience. I know someone (they are Indian immigrants) whose D received a full scholarship to a school that wasn’t quite as prestigious as she could have attended. She chose the college for very valid reasons of her own and was happy and successful. Her college fund continued to grow. She then got engaged to a man whose family is extremely prominent in the Indian-American community in their area, so the expectation for a couple like that was that the wedding would involve several days, several venues and 500 people. The parents weren’t wealthy, but since they had saved for her education and not used the money, they could have an extravagant wedding that was completely suitable to her situation. And, again, it was THEIR MONEY.</p>
<p>Some choices are cultural. If I had a daughter I would want to give her and her husband the wedding of their dreams, but not my nightmares! I love weddings!</p>
<p>I guess I just think the people here that are offended by the Clinton’s wedding are a little off base.</p>
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<p>Exactly. It’s no one’s business what ANYone else does with their money and I can tell you, with confidence, that the amount spent was nothing like has been quoted in the press or here on CC. Ask those vendors how happy they are to have benefited from this supposedly profligate spending. My guess is that they, and the hotels and restaurants in Rhinebeck, are very happy to have been involved. </p>
<p>And to create a new username simply to bash the Clintons and this wonderful day for their family? Unbelievable. Now, THAT’s tacky.</p>
<p>zmom - what is the owner of the estate up to? I apologize if this has been mentioned.</p>
<p>The estate is for sale and she is marketing it as the place where Chelsea Clinton got married. It’s just unseemly and the Clintons have been a bit embarrassed because it looks like they were used. No great tragedy, just not nice.</p>
<p>I see. I thought perhaps there might have been some quid pro quo on the marketing. We’ll let you use the estate for free if you’re okay with us marketing it as such. I don’t think that would have been a bad deal to make, but I would imagine the Clintons would have retained rights over what info could be released for the marketing.</p>
<p>It does seem slightly tacky!</p>
<p>I created a screen name in order to ask advice about a personal problem.Many of the people there were very kind in offering their advice and best wishes. My posting on this thread was to take my mind off said problem. For the record, I used the word “tacky” to describe the behavior of the Clintons in seemingly being tone-deaf to the real hardship many in this country are feeling this summer–not the wedding itself, which I am sure was lovely (although I hated Hillary’s dresses and hairstyle - oh oh). I’ll slink away to dig up a friendlier thread. Thanks.</p>
<p>The economy needs spending, if people who are not hurting refuse to spend in solidarity with those who are hurting it will damage the economy further. I am not saying people should run around flaunting wealth and throwing their good fortune in other peoples faces, but the Clintons didn’t release their expenditures, the press and the public speculated and ran away with the story.</p>
<p>I really think at whatever your income level you would not enjoy someone else speculating on your spending and judging it wrong.</p>
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<p>If it goes back to talking about the wedding (and particularly dresses per se) can it be moved back? ;)</p>
<p>At some point, something has to come out about the bridesmaid’s dresses and I count on CC to keep me in the loop, but I won’t go to the E & P boards anymore. </p>
<p>Nothing has leaked about the honeymoon, either, and where they are. Not that they owe us that information, but you just know it’s going to come out eventually.</p>