Was Jodi Kantor's Wedding Totally Tacky?
Poor New Yorker writer Rebecca Mead. Her new book, One Perfect Day, is a takedown of America's overblown wedding culture, but it keeps getting reviewed by ladies who either just had or are planning an overblown American wedding. The latest is the Times former Arts 'n' Leisure chief Jodi Kantor, who takes issue in the Book Review with Rebecca's characterization of "registering—for water glasses, an ice-cream maker, the usual tchotchkes" as "an exercise in 'licensed covetousness.'"
Jodi writes: "By her analysis, the betrothed throw themselves into wedding planning because they know married life will ultimately be a letdown. Au contraire, Rebecca—come over some night for homemade ice cream and see!" Now that sounds like an invitation that will totally be accepted!
Jodi continues: "Though she speaks of the entire wedding industry, Mead actually doesn't seem interested in celebrations like mine—which was on the tasteful side, if I do say so myself."
Oh really? Maybe not, if Jodi's case against wedding cakes is taken into consideration.
When my husband and I were married in October, we did technically serve cake — individual chocolate-and-caramelized-banana ones. But they were mere vehicles for the scoops of coffee and cinnamon gelato that sat astride them. And instead of smushing cake into each other's mouths, we cut out the middleman and smushed our faces directly into each other's.
Mmm, tasteful.
