I think any new addition of bridal bargains should definitely encourage brides to go onto wedding message boards (e.g. the knot, wedding wire) with a critical eye. I think these boards foster a lot of peer pressure and group think. I initially went onto these boards expecting other happy and encouraging brides to be, but found a lot of rude, narrow-minded, and opinionated posters who aren't afraid to tell strangers that what they're doing is wrong. I believe that since these message boards are funded by ads from wedding vendors, they encourage and foster attitudes of 'spend, spend, spend!' on the boards.

Once I got off the boards, I instead sought support and advice from people with similar values to my own - i.e. not Aunt Sally whose attitude was "you're only a bride once, so create the wedding of your dreams with plastic and pay it off later!"