Weddings should be a time of merry and relaxed celebration, instead of the ornate, break-the-bank pageants they so often become. I have a lot of respect for my new sister-in-law who decided to make her own wedding dress from scratch, instead of believing she needed something pricey from a bridal magazine. Though there was no china in the buffet line, I had more fun at my brother's elegantly simple wedding than the more expensive ones I've been to.

Wha? I haven't spent the lowly sum of 85 bucks on a tux since dubya's daddy was in office. . .

That's because wedding dresses are more elaborate, thank you.