Picture the scene: your college roommate is getting married and calls you from across the country to ask you to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Although your thoughts instantly go to the probably awful dress you will have to wear and the cost of flying to the wedding, you are thrilled and of course, agree. Then, she drops the bomb-would you be willing to get a breast augmentation before the wedding? According to the NYT, there is a growing trend for brides to be (giving new meaning to the term Bridezilla of the TV show) to ask their wedding party to get plastic surgery.

The NYT reports that:

Some brides pick up the tab for their attendants, replacing the pillbox inscribed with the wedding date with a well-earned squirt between the eyes. In other cases, bridesmaids — who may quietly seethe about unflattering dresses — are surprisingly willing to pay for cosmetic enhancements.

Again, I have to say WTF? Some of the reasons for the surgeries, skin "enhancements" or botox-fillers given in the article refer to the fact that people are getting married later and are not looking quite as good as they did in their 20's- one bride laments the fact that a bracelet or earrings as a gift now would just quite simply, not suffice. (I am thinking she gives new meaning to the words high-maintenance be-atch.) The importance of the after-the-wedding Facebook photos is also mentioned. (Reading this article gave me a totally different perspective on my own Facebook photos, which tend not to be doctored and even the close-up shots do not involve Botox.)

The article also reports the some women are even asking their moms or their future mom-in-laws to "take care of their crow's feet". I know my mom very well, and can most assuredly say that she would not be happy with this situaiton.

How does one discreetly ask someone to whiten their teeth before the big day? Do you ask directly or simply send some dental coupons in the mail?

The other trend associated with this is that now bridal parties are enjoying their time together getting Botoxed instead of getting manicures and pedicures.

I am looking at this as something that is mostly coastal and in the big cities (LA and New York to be specific), but also as something that is a little disturbing about the times in which we are living. Hopefully one benefit of the current recession is that people will not be able to afford to be as superficial as they have in the past.