I can't claim to be an expert on the economy. I don't know which industries are holding firm and which are about to cave in on themselves. What I am an expert on, however, is television. And if television is any indicator, the wedding industry is booming.

With shows like Bridezillas, Say Yes to the Dress, Platinum Weddings and more taking up entire evenings of cable channel programming, it's no surprise that the mental image of the pretty, pretty princess day is alive and well in the minds of many young women these days. However, at the end of the long, expensive day, it all comes down to the fact that you're married, right?

Right?

More and more these days, a trend is emerging among young couples in general, but is especially prevalent among military couples. A quick Justice of the Peace ceremony is done to get the legalities taken care of, and then the "real" wedding is planned for a later date. In some cases, the couple does not even tell friends and family that they're already married.

This phenomenon is commonly discussed on both wedding forums and military forums around the Internet, usually with the disclaimer that "civilian brides just don't understand." Young women are encouraged to go ahead and just get the paperwork out of the way for the convenience of being married to a member of the military and plan their "real" wedding for a later date, because everyone deserves their wedding day.

Never mind the fact that not every civilian bride has gotten a big white wedding. Never mind the fact that plenty of military brides have planned a lovely wedding on short notice, or been happy with their courthouse ceremony. Never mind the people who have chosen courthouse ceremonies - not "real" weddings according to this school of thought.

Never mind all of that - what it comes down to is this: it would be convenient to be legally married right now, but I want my bridal shower, big white dress and fancy party later. As a military bride, I am entitled to both.

While it's a common theme in the wedding industry that every little girl grows up dreaming of her wedding day, it's hard to ignore the effects that "weddings as entertainment" are having on the mindset of young couples today. Marriage in general, and especially to a member of the military, requires sacrifices of all sorts. One of the first sacrifices that may have to be made is the wedding itself. Yet this seems like an impossible proposition to so many - as if they are being cheated out of their due. So I need to ask - is it about marriage, or is it about a wedding?

Do you think the recent burst in popularity of wedding-related television programming has had any effect on this phenomenon of prioritizing the dream wedding over the marriage itself? What do you think of the "two wedding" phenomenon? Are military brides exempt from the traditional rules here?