Brides Decide? - Decide What??

Using Google's Reader I clearly get a picture of what's going on in the world specific to news I am dying to read about.

Get a load of this juicy, and I suspect controversial, tidbit; David Liu, the money-making genius behind TheKnot.com, is taking bridal decision making skills to a new level. BridesDecide wants brides (& bridegrooms, I suspect) to get more involved in the 2008 presidential election.

They provide some pretty interesting features like side-by-side comparisons by issue (abortion, health care, education, etc.), a voter registration link and various polls about *important* issues.

They've gone so far as to dig up the particulars of each candidate's nuptials complete with real wedding photos. (Oooh.) As expected, former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani's wedding profile is a bit lacking. I'm not sure their programmers knew how to take into account the whole second-cousin thing. Here is NNDB's run-down on him. Please note "Mistress" classifier. Ouch. (disclaimer: I helped elect him into office)

Since I'm knee-deep in guest list F-U-N, I'd love to see what the guests lists look like and what their lifetime political contributions tally up to.

Come to think of it, I'd like to see BridesDecide include *potential* candidates, too; Al Gore, Fred Thompson, Newt Gingrich, Bloomberg, Chuck Nader... Why not, right?!

The US divorce rate (1st marriage is 41%, 2nd marriage is 60%, 3rd marriage is 73%) keeps flashing into my mind - The cynic in me hopes this doesn't somehow project to voter turnout.

An Ode to Bundling

The WSJ had an eye-opening piece on the latest rage in weddings - perfect for 2008 - weddings as bundling initiatives. It's ingenious if you ask me.

It started out as a half-joking comment from fiancee's Alex Heckler and Tiffany Zientz: "Why not convert the wedding reception for 250 guests into a per-plate fund-raiser for a presidential contender?" As it turns out, such a far-out idea is far from far-out since the very same groom-to-be actually met his bride-to-be by lifting her email address from a political fund-raising list. Gasp. (Whatever is takes to get the woman of our dreams, right fellas?)

Mr. Heckler's devotion to fund-raising is characteristic of few. At least dating back to Kerry's run for president, he's been a bundler - "one of the few hundred Americans underwriting the early rounds of the campaign by cajoling friends, relatives and contacts to dash off checks for a few thousand dollars to their favorite candidate."

Could such an endeavor work for Coco and I? Let's explore the possibilities:

a) We are Americans.

b) We have friends.

c) We have family.


...looks pretty good so far.


d) Said family and friends most certainly own checkbooks filled with........wait for it....checks just waiting to be filled out. Nevermind that I deftly left out Mr. Heckler's $2,300 per-plate asking price.

e) Said family and friends, some WAY more outspoken than others, most likely (and hopefully!) vote. It is our right and hopefully your voting so aspects of the President's Immigration Bill (like "amnesty" via Z visas & council paid by our tax $s) never make it to fruition. Anyway you look at it, this bill will cost a pretty penny. And at the very least, said family and friends must prefer one candidate (or candidate's features!) more than the another, no? If that ain't reason enough to vote, I don't know what is.

f) Said family and friends will conveniently be convening to celebrate our upcoming nuptials. Could there be second reason to celebrate?

g) If you read the right rag, you may have caught on that a certain gentlemanly candidate from a state whose northernly brother loves vinegary BBQ (and is very close to the state where Seannie and Jenoa are moving to) will be front-and-center on a certain familial CN pub. How's that for a cryptic blind item!


...the stars seem aligned thus far...


i) If we pull out the cost of the Honeymoon that I've included in our spreadsheet, the per head 'contribution' seems very affordable.

j) Can you say tax write-off??

k) We would let attendees select the campaign of their choice.

l) 'Contributions' are anonymous. (Please maintain current registered political affiliations, Heather. Anonymity doesn't mean you can now use blue ink because it's in vogue and you dig Hil.)



So, what do you think? Compelling argument if you ask me. The chances of us 'bundling' our wedding for the 2008 Presidential election look pretty good, huh?

[I was really hoping I could think of 26 (A-Z, get it?) reasons but I just don't think I'm as witty as you think I am. Sorry to disappoint.]