Looking for a "Bride" like me

As a young woman of color who is engaged and deep in the midst of wedding planning, I find it disheartening that whenever I open up bridal magazines or go on wedding planning websites, I rarely see any of the brides that look like me. As in, the ethnic flavor of these sites is really lacking. Every bride is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty with creamy skin. No one that really resembles me.


That is, until I stumbled across a new site, World Bride magazine. This new bridal magazine says it caters to women of all colors, races and religions, which is somewhat refreshing to see. The site is pretty typical, with links to vendors and articles. The models are simply beautiful. Check out one of the covers below.



One gripe I have about this magazine, and bridal magazines in general, is that they seem to operate under the belief that everyone has $100,000 to spend on their wedding. They have ads for Tiffany diamond rings, $3000 dresses, honeymoon packages in South Africa - all things that I can't afford. I would like for magazines to acknowledge the brides that not be able to - or even have the desire - to spend an obscene amount of money on a wedding. Show me how to do flower arrangements for under $100, show me the best times of year to shop for a wedding dress on sale, or how to buy a cake that won't break the bank. If I ever am in a position to start my own magazine, I might have to consider creating one for the budget-minded bride.