DEVIL IN A WHITE DRESS

bridezilla (bryd.ZIL.uh) n. A bride-to-be who, while planning her wedding, becomes exceptionally selfish, greedy, and obnoxious. Also: bridezilla.

Today's word is a combination of the words bride and Godzilla, the mutant dinosaur created by U.S. hydrogen bomb testing in the Pacific that, in numerous Japanese-produced “B” movies made in the '50s and '60s, would laboriously wade onto land from the ocean depths and destroy everything in its path. The bride-to-be version of this monster is created by seemingly ordinary, mild-mannered females who rise to a fanatical need to have

the perfect wedding

once they become engaged.

Overnight, a sweetheart can turn. And watch out…once the line has been crossed from “normal” to “maniacal”, she'll mow down anyone and anything that gets in her way to attain this “perfect day”. Make no mistake about it…she knows that she is to be worshipped as the single most important person for the single most important event of the century.

A bridezilla knows no bounds. No one is immune from her wrath. She breaks all rules of etiquette and traditional decorum for this event. A bona fide bridezilla will literally terrorize close friends, family, wedding event suppliers, and…most especially…her fiancée, until her demands are met.

Without exception, this reporter has been told tales from every florist, photographer, hairdresser, dressmaker, baker, and wedding coordinator about their first-hand experiences with real-life bridezillas.

Here are some actual tales:

One wedding invitation supplier's bridezilla wanted the wedding invitations stuffed with standard inserts such as a map to the reception, wedding attendance response cards, an engagement photo of the happy bride and groom…and…her gift registry list along with deposit slips to the bride and groom's bank account!

A photographer described how one of his bridezillas became rather sharp when her new husband wanted to select a wedding portrait that included the two of them…and…her new stepson. What could the guy possibly be thinking? This was her day!

A hairdresser detailed how one bride-to-be was having a hard time deciding on which relatives and friends she could ask to be bridesmaids at her wedding…and…the thoughtful bridezilla decided that she could eliminate two of her “friends” because they really weren't “that pretty.”

Another incident occurred when one bride---and her 'zilla family---were so caught up in the wedding day festivities that no one missed her grandmother until family photos were being taken at the reception! The grandmother was later found, waiting at her home for someone to take her to the wedding.

Almost all young girls dream of the flawless, “Cinderella” wedding. Your wedding day is a big event and one which should be well-planned and organized. It is also probably---next to buying a home or putting a child through college---the largest single expenditure you and your groom will incur.

You can avoid the bridezilla syndrome by:

Learning to say “thank you”. Adopt an attitude of “gratefulness”.

Don't talk incessantly about your wedding. When you see eyeballs glazing over from hearing about “The Wedding”…again…you know you've gone too far! Save some of your wedding details as a surprise for your guests.

Don't expect gifts. Do not make copies of your gift registry and distribute. And…this is very important…hand-write a thank you note to the giver that is personalized based on the gift received. Computer generated, fill-in-the-blank “thank-you's” are déclassé.

Don't ask your wedding party or guests to help pay for the wedding or reception. From the moment you become engaged, decide on a budget that you and your groom can afford. If you can't afford freeflowing champagne and a sitdown dinner at the reception, opt for cake and punch.

After all…you want to remember this day, and the events leading up to it, as a wonderful experience that you will cherish the rest of your life.

Now, about those

groomzillas…