For Once, A Victory

For those of you that know women…..and I mean REALLY know women….you have to understand the art of shopping.  Or maybe it’s the understanding of the love of shopping.  Or ….perhaps the art of spending money in the name of shopping?  Hmmm…. Well in any event, I’m getting a little off subject.

Once upon a time, a young girl fantasized about her dream wedding.  Scratch the DJ record and move forward 25 years, and now this same girl realizes that every wedding fantasy comes at a cost.  Whether the cost is minimal or grand, it’s always an ADDITIONAL cost.  I have begun to realize that maybe it’s true when they say nothing in life is for free … but I know for a darn tootin’ fact that NOTHING (and I mean NOTHING) in the wedding industry is for free. 

This being said, the young girl inside of me still wants the dream fantasy wedding.  Which, much to my hubby-to-be’s shagrin, usually means ANOTHER cost. Since the beginning of the wedding planning, I have heard many things come out of my hubby-to-be’s mouth such as:

“That costs HOW much?!?!”

“Do we really need _______________________??!?!”

“You really need to watch the budget.”

“Can you fill out the Excel spreadsheet to see if that cost fits within the allotted budget.”

So, I guess this now ties in my intro paragraph.  When a woman sees something she REALLY wants (okay, maybe she just thinks she REALLY wants it) and has her heart set on it … the above questions are like a stab in the shopping bag.

SOOOOOOO…..this brings me to the day in question.  

Saturday, March 27, 2010. A beautiful, sunny yet crisp day.  

It was the day that has been designated in our Outlook calendars as “WEDDING BAND SHOPPING WEEKEND.”  And no, not the wedding band as in music (as my hubby-to-be thought originally), but rather the ball and chain symbol that remains on your finger for life shopping event.

The day started out with grumpy hubby-to-be.  I wanted to be the very first in the store as it was a SALE weekend for wedding bands!  Hubby-to-be wanted to remain in bed snoozing with the young puppy for as long as possible.  

Finally, he dragged himself out of bed but NEVER FEAR ladies … NOT without the dreaded “b” word!!!

Hubby-to-be getting out of bed: “You know when we go shopping today, you really need to check yourself with the budget before you agree to anything.”

“If you get anything custom-made, it’s coming out of your own pocket.”

“Make sure you think of the BUDGET.”

Sigh.  Words of love.  SWOON.

So, OFF WE WENT!

Needless to say, swarms of people arrived at the same time we did.  And I mean swarms. If you are like us and have never experienced a jewelry store being crowded, it was a bit overwhelming.

We were the second inside the store and off we went in search of the eternal ball and chain symbol!

ONE HOUR AND 10 MINUTES.

That’s the amount of time to search for, purchase and sign for the rings.

HUBBY’S TIME FINDING/PURCHASING A RING – 1 HOUR AND 5 MINUTES

MY TIME FINDING/PURCHASING A RING – 5 MINUTES.

Shall I say (ahem!) someone (and not me) is the prima donna of the relationship!?!?!

Anywhooo…..to make a long story short, hubby-to-be chose a ring that was MORE EXPENSIVE than the one I chose.

Yes, my friends. A whole gob-smacking, lip-licking $50 more expensive.

Now, you may think “Well, $50 is not all that much.”

Well, if you are thinking that  … THINK AGAIN.   That $50 has shuddered all of the dreaded “B” comments …. That $50 has caused me so much peace and tranquility for the weekend that I feel as though I’m at a spa in Palm Springs.

They say marriage is a compromise.  I agree … but I also say that a $50 difference that swings in your favor is PRICELESS.

Saturday, March 27, 2010.   A day that will remain forever in our wedding history books.  A victory for perhaps not all women, but this one in particular.  A day that should be on the Mastercard commercial because this day indeed was priceless.