mixed emotions about theknot.com message boards

In the greater conversation of bargains and conscious spending in the wedding planning process, I think it's worth discussing how too much time and/or reliance on wedding message boards can impact a person's decision-making process.

I was shocked and disheartened when I first signed up at theknot.com and saw how women were speaking to one another on the knot's message boards. The girls have really rigid senses of wedding etiquette and how things are supposed to happen. One girl mentioned how she and her fiance wanted to host their own engagement party (just a casual BBQ) to celebrate their joy and allow different circles of friends get acquainted. She made clear she was NOT gift grabbing. For whatever reasons, it didn't work out for others to host the party. Nonetheless, people just attacked her on the knot boards.

I have posted some simple questions on the knot's boards and have been suprised and disheartened by the authoritative responses I got - as if there's only one way in which weddings are to take place.

I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I think some of these wedding industry websites encourage this kind of behavior on their boards because it's ultimately leading brides to buy more and spend more. I am really glad I didn't get swept up into all of that madness. I know that my wedding will be in my budget, appropriate for what's typical of weddings where I live, and will leave my guests having had a really nice day.