When the chick-flick 27 Dresses hit the theaters, I passed on it. But when my daughter bought the DVD I caved and ended up watching it. I was pleasantly surprised. Not that I had low expectations, but my even my moderate expectations were exceeded. (Note to self: If a flick has Katherine Heigl in it, it’s worth checking out—as far as I’m concerned; she stole the show.)
If you’ve seen the movie, you recall the bar scene where the two main characters—emboldened courtesy of adult beverages—try to correctly recall the words and sing Elton John’s classic hit, “Bennie and the Jets.” I was never sure of the lyrics either, so I had to look them up—I’m still don’t know what the song means. Anyway, it was a hoot to hear them try to belt it out in their inebriated condition.
The premise of the movie was that Heigl’s character had been a bridesmaid in 27 weddings, but never a bride. The reoccurring gag was the brides claiming that the dresses could be shortened and worn again—of course they never were.
As my daughter began planning for her upcoming nuptials, she recalled similar complaints of friends about weddings they’ve been in: expensive dresses that they would never wear again and uncomfortable shoes that hurt their feet.
My ever practical and most resourceful daughter has addressed these issues. She is making the bridesmaids’ dresses—so even if they don’t don them again, at least it didn’t cost them anything. (For the record, she did buy her dress, which she won’t wear again.)
Oh, as far as the uncomfortable shoes—the ladies in the wedding party will be sporting flip-flops, as will the bride. Problems solved.
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book The Successful Author for insider tips and insights.