I’m currently in the middle stages of planning my wedding for early next year. I’m enjoying all the meticulous work of choosing envelopes, designing the seating chart and choosing cake flavors. One of the most surprising things so far about the process, though, has been the way people talk about it. Much of the planning process is opaque: Pricing and other important details are often hidden, and options are difficult to accurately compare. When you can find the information, it’s often obscured by jargon specific to the process. For example, I’ve noticed that instead of simply listing the price of a service or asking for my budget, a florist might ask for my “preferred level of investment.” To me, an investment is something that I might one day get a financial return on. That’s not to say that I think people should not spend money on their wedding; rather, I want to know what the material gain is. Are you investing in the memories? Or maybe the relationship? Will those things appreciate in value over time? These are, of course, rhetorical questions. Plenty of people decline to (or cannot afford to) spend the vast sums of money that are often associated with a traditional American wedding and choose to elope or marry at a courthouse. Still, some couples feel obligated to follow the social custom, have family who are willing to cover the costs or just like the idea of throwing a huge party. Am I going on a “journey” to “experience” my “investment”? I’d put it more simply than that: I’m planning a wedding that I hope my closest friends and family enjoy. The process is full of other lingo, too. My partner hates the phrase “bridal journey” — she’s just planning a wedding. Cakes that don’t have enough icing are “naked,” and let’s not omit all the dress code options. What does “fresh formal, with summer-camp vibes” even mean? There has been no shortage of snags, intense deliberations and hidden costs. But ultimately, the experience of being able to go through all of this with someone I want to spend forever with makes everything worth it. Solve Today’s Capture
Column of the WeekThis week, Alex Barron, the official quizmaster of “The Daily,” wrote: “The crossword, it turns out, is also quite friendly to the fountain pen — extreme precision isn’t necessary, and newspaper is a good absorber of ink.” Read about his journey with the pen while solving today’s puzzle in the Wordplay column.
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