For their wedding day, the grooms say they started the planning on very different pages: Josh loves a crowd and the spotlight and would have invited everyone in his contacts list, they say, whereas John would have been happy to elope, and wanted an intimate vibe. Ultimately they found middle ground, they say, compromising with a celebration size-110 guests-that suited them both.
Gen Z is aging into the life moments that define entire industries. As this generation moves through milestones like marriage, homeownership, and family planning, they're quickly becoming a core target market not just for weddings, but for a wide range of service-based businesses. What matters for these small businesses is how Gen Z's arrival, set against today's economic backdrop, is reshaping expectations for how they serve their customers.
You're not wrong to feel irritated, but I think you may be irritated about the wrong thing. The issue isn't that they're not legally married-it's that they weren't upfront about it. If they'd said, "We're having a commitment ceremony to celebrate our partnership, and we'd love for you to join us," you could have decided whether to attend and give a gift. Instead, they let everyone assume it was a legal marriage, which feels deceptive.
Why have Americans clung so hard to the dream of a fancy wedding? Hanna Rosin asked Xochitl Gonzalez, our staff writer who used to be a luxury-wedding planner, this question on the Radio Atlantic podcast in 2023. "We've let go of so many 'middle-class American aspirations,' but we haven't been able to let go of the wedding," Xochitl noted. "People have given up on college, and I don't think that they want to give up on weddings."
Late on October 8, 2025, while everyone else in the house was asleep, I lay awake scrolling through my phone and journalist chat groups for updates. There were conflicting accounts from the ceasefire talks of progress, setbacks, hope and doubt. As my phone battery dwindled, I finally drifted off to sleep, stirred occasionally by distant shelling that told me what my phone couldn't.
My mother insists that Aiden can stay with friends or at a motel! The reason? They want to visit with their dogs, and Aiden is severely allergic to dogs and cats. Dear Not a Hotel, Even if I were willing to entertain this idea (which I am not), the entire house would have to be cleaned after the dogs left, and even then there would be no guarantee that Aiden's allergies wouldn't be triggered. It's not a risk I'm willing to expose him to.
Eloping became the attractive option as we realized the stress and expense of a large wedding didn't align with our new priorities as parents.
A bridesmaid's role is to support the bride, minimize drama, and solve problems, but sometimes the bridesmaid may create issues instead of helping.
While some may see bridal parties as celebrations of love and friendship, others view them as elaborate and somewhat ridiculous traditions that need re-evaluation.
...one of the best decisions I ever made. We started as friends, graduated to husband and wife and it has served us as a solid foundation for the highs and lows of life.
