Is Entitlement Taking Over?

I love watching the 'Say yes' shows. Y'all know the ones I mean, right? Those shows where brides (and bridesmaids) go into the bridal salon to find their dream, perfect wedding gown. There's often high drama, where the mom hates the dress the bride loves, or the bride has friends making truly nasty, negative comments.

But there are also those stories that just rip and grab your heart:

The bride, at age 27, diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, determined to make the most of her life. She's on a really tight budget and just wants 'to look pretty and feel like me, not 'the cancer girl.' Her fiance has shaved his head to be like her and said anything she gets she will be beautiful in, who supports her all the way, even against her sister's negative comments about how 'big' the bride's hips looks, or how the port scar shows (the consultant told the bride flat and strong, "That scar is a badge of honor, honey. It shows your strength, courage, and fight. You wear it proudly."). She refuses to try on anything that costs over her budget, determined to find one that won't add to their debt.

The consultant wants to buy the gown for her (which the store nixes, since it's 'unprofessional') since her mom died from breast cancer, and this selfless bride truly just wants to feel pretty, make a life with her soulmate, and be alive. That's all she asks. She's sweet, patient, charming, and you just want to hug her and be her bff.

She found her dream gown, in her price range, that made her mom, sister, fiance, consultant, everyone teary, and she wore that scar showing dream dress loud and proud. She glowed, she was so happy.

An update at the end showed her at her wedding-- and then noted her death from breast cancer 4 months later.

Oh my heart.

(Shameless plug...Lucy, in 'Holidaze: Marry and Bright', the next Abbeville series book, is really missing her mom, who died of breast cancer, while planning her wedding to Joey, Jr. Can a little holiday magic help?)

THEN...

In comes BB (brat bride) who is shopping for her THIRD wedding gown because she, 'wants to be different.' Seriously? She already has 2 wedding gowns PLUS a 'reception dress' yet is shopping and wants a third one (well, really fourth).

My first thought was, 'Okay, she's going to spend the whole wedding/reception just changing clothes.' I mean, I get changing your big, full wedding gown for something easier to move in, dance, sit, stand, eat, and most importantly (to me) go to the bathroom. But to have FOUR gowns? That's over the top.

She finds her 'dream' dress, and calls her fiance to tell him-- and he flatly, strongly, adamantly says, "It's too much money. We're not going over budget on it." (It was $1500 over). BB pouts, cries, has a fit-- then asks the consultant to get the store to discount the dress to her price--and throw in a free veil.

The store of course refuses, as they should, despite BB's antics, mom's nagging, and even a friend's declaration, "You have discounted gowns for brides before on this show!" (Um, yeah, they have, usually brides who deserve it, because it's their SOLE gown, now for BBs who already have THREE gowns).

The store finally agrees to hold the gown--with half the price down, and a promise the bride will pay the rest the next day. Bride pays half and leaves-- and doesn't pay the rest the next day, leaving the 'dream dress' and also losing her deposit (although I bet she called the store and raised hell about it).

So which bride was 'deserving'? Has Entitlement, where people believe they are 'owed' something because they want it, even when they already have extras, taken over? Is this a sign the world, as a whole, is losing its compassion and selflessness?

Or am I just overreacting to an obviously spoiled rotten person who isn't going to be happy with anything, ever, and will always want more?