I occasionally answer wedding-related questions via Aardvark and yesterday I got this gem: “Is wearing a$$less chaps good wedding etiquette? My friend just threatened to make me wear them to his wedding.” In composing my answer I was reminded of how important it is that one repeat “To each their own” a few times before rendering judgment on a wedding or a wedding dress or a choice of reception menu.
The bride and groom want their attendants in assless chaps? That’s fine as long as they accept that they may have to deal with one or more prospective bridesmaids or groomsmen declining to be in the wedding party. Naked wedding? Sure, just don’t ask your guests to disrobe unless you’re a part of the nudist community. Video game wedding? Bring it on! Sci-fi wedding? I’ll be the first to say “Live long an prosper.”
How about a wedding where body modification takes center stage because throughout the ceremony both the bride and the groom are hanging by what is apparently known as a suicide suspension?

Let’s just say I’d never tell a bride or a groom not to go there, but boy howdy if it doesn’t give me the willies just a little bit.
Between this and the Octopus Bride, you don’t ever want me to sleep again, do you, NtB?
(I’ll throw in the usual caveat about “to each their own,” but I have a low pain threshold and I will freely admit this made me do a full-body shudder.)
I totally got the heebeejeebies looking at these photos the first time. But, upon reconsideration, they look so HAPPY. The groom is beaming. How can I say anything negative about that?
Glad to hear you’ve been answering wedding questions on Aardvark and that one truly is a gem. Would you mind sharing the actual question transcript – I’d absolutely *love* to read it! alison@aardvarkteam.com
– Alison @ Aardvark
The bride and groom look so happy! I would have to say that this bride and groom appear to be very well-matched, and have chosen a highly personal ceremony which means a great deal to them. And the shades of green are wonderfully lively.
That said, I’m glad that I wasn’t hanging around for that ceremony.
Ow. Ow ow ow. Ow ow ow ow, ow ow ow. Ow.
They do look very happy. And I like her green dress very much. Also, I bet it was a short ceremony–I hate looooong wedding ceremonies.
Ok, seriously. Really? I usually am of the ‘each to their own’ persuasion, but there are absolute limits and this has officially crossed them. I consider a wedding to be an ultimately serious occassion and when the guest are too busy wincing to pay attention to the proceedings, there is a problem.
Having said that, several guests at the last wedding I went to were too sloshed to pay attention anyway, so maybe I’m just talking myself in circles!