Has the zombie wedding trend reached "peak zombie"? #Wedding trends#zombies Posted Aug 22 2016 Ariel findyourafterglow Photo courtesy of Lyndsi Metz Photography. A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by a journalist writing for Yahoo Style about Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams and his zombie-themed wedding photos. Now, the article shares some perspectives that make me a little barfy, most notably this: “He was like, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter because this isn’t my wedding, it’s her wedding,‘” Dacus told Yahoo Style. “He said, ‘If it was my way, I would have had a zombie wedding.'” Attention all grooms: actually, your opinion does matter because actually IT IS YOUR WEDDING. You are there, getting married. At your wedding. It is your wedding. I mean, it's nice that a pro football player can afford to do a photo shoot the day after his wedding day so that his interests can be included too… but for those of who don't have a pro-athlete's salary, I hope y'all truly understand that both people getting married should be able to have opinions about the wedding. If dude wanted a zombie wedding, he should have been able to have a zombie wedding. Whatever: we're not here to debate the gender dynamics of football players and their partners. We are here to talk about the cultural rise and decline of zombie weddings. The journalist asked me several questions about the trend, and y'all KNOW I love talking about cultural trend-watching through the lens of offbeat weddings, so I thought I'd just share the full exchange: Did the zombie wedding trend begin with The Walking Dead, or were people planning zombie shoots and themed weddings before it was so mainstream? Nope. The Walking Dead premiered in 2010, and we've seen zombie weddings on Offbeat Bride since well before that, including these zombie wedding vows from 2009. Related Post Genuinely touching zombie wedding vows and ceremony Family members can get concerned when you say things like, "We're going to have zombies in our wedding vows!" But here's solid proof that your vows can include zombies and… Read More In terms of offbeat trends, I feel like we're already past what I'd call "Peak Zombie." We saw a lot of zombie-themed weddings and engagement shoots between 2009-2014, which matches the slope of the Zombie trend nationwide. We definitely see less now, with a shift toward more rustic wedding themes. Why do you think couples like adding this macabre twist to their celebrations? It's a playful way to riff on the concept of "'til death do us part" — we've also seen a lot of couples integrating Dia de los Muertos elements into their weddings for similar reasons. Do you think they ever regret marking the day this way? No more so than any other wedding trend… realistically, part of what makes weddings fun is looking back and feeling like your wedding was a reflection of the times. The idea of a "timeless" wedding is an impossible goal. Have fun and don't worry about it. Your impeccably tasteful wedding will look silly in a few years, too. Related Post Screw "timeless" weddings, I WANT my wedding to look dated I am sick of the words "timeless" and "classic." I'm pretty sure it's going to be obvious I got married in 2013, and I'm fine with that, because… I will… Read More As always, I don't see weddings trends as a bad thing — if you love zombies and are integrating them into your wedding this year because you love them right now, FUCKING AWESOME. If you loved zombies and integrated them into your wedding five years ago because you loved them then, FUCKING AWESOME. The goal isn't timeless weddings. The goal isn't the most unique special snowflake wedding. The goal is a wedding the reflects the interests of both you and your partner (hear that, DeAngelo Williams?) and the time in which you got married. That's what makes weddings awesome! Related Post "Not an effort to be unique, but an effort to be us" The New York Times recently ran an article called Your Hand in Marriage, and Offbeat Bride got a nod for our DIY posts. That's cool, but what really caught my… Read More Related Post Othering: the ways offbeat types push ourselves away Over the years, I've seen something come up time and time again from Offbeat Bride readers: people will send an email, post on the Tribe, or leave a comment that… Read More Ariel Author of three editions of the Offbeat Bride book and the brand-new From Shitshow To Afterglow, Ariel Meadow Stallings acts as the publisher of all the Offbeat Empire websites. She lives in Seattle with her son, and if she's not reading or writing books, chances are good that she's dancing or happy-crying. To follow her latest work, join join The Afterglow, for exclusive access to essays, videos, online courses, and more. PREVIOUS A movies and food truck wedding that fills our flowers and pastel-loving hearts NEXT This "hangover kit" is the perfect mini welcome bag Show/Hide comments [ 4 ] My husband cared A LOT about our day. He'd wanted a Halloween wedding since he was a teenager and if he didn't have any ideas or opinions we would've had a problem because I'd never even considered anything about what kind of wedding I wanted. I feel bad for grooms who fall into the "it's her day trap" and I can't figure out if they legitimately don't have ideas or have ideas but feel like they're not supposed to express them because it's been jammed into their brains that weddings belong to the brides. Either way, it makes me sad. Our zombie engagement shoot was because we have always, and will always, love zombies. We even had have a little zombie charm on one of our hand fasting cords! Reply "Attention all grooms: actually, your opinion does matter because actually IT IS YOUR WEDDING. You are there, getting married. At your wedding. It is your wedding." I get that no one else should assume it's automatically 'her wedding', but aren't couples allowed to choose what's important to them? If one partner wants to give 100% control over to the other, who are we to say that's wrong (speaking generally here). I do think it's important to make sure he's giving up control because he WANTS to not because society says he does. The opposite is also true–he shouldn't be pressed to care about things he doesn't just so you can say he's included. " If dude wanted a zombie wedding, he should have been able to have a zombie wedding." But what if SHE didn't want one? I think the better idea is saying that maybe they can compromise. I mean, if my partner said he wanted a Dallas Cowboys themed affair, I'd say absolutely not because I hate them, but we could perhaps do something that made us both happy. Reply Yeah, my goal here was to suggest that they both have their interests represented. I may have missed the mark, 'cuz you're right! I agree completely. Reply "Attention all grooms: actually, your opinion does matter because actually IT IS YOUR WEDDING. You are there, getting married. At your wedding. It is your wedding." PREACH. Reply Join the conversation Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign me up for your offbeat awesomeness newsletter! No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. 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My husband cared A LOT about our day. He'd wanted a Halloween wedding since he was a teenager and if he didn't have any ideas or opinions we would've had a problem because I'd never even considered anything about what kind of wedding I wanted. I feel bad for grooms who fall into the "it's her day trap" and I can't figure out if they legitimately don't have ideas or have ideas but feel like they're not supposed to express them because it's been jammed into their brains that weddings belong to the brides. Either way, it makes me sad. Our zombie engagement shoot was because we have always, and will always, love zombies. We even had have a little zombie charm on one of our hand fasting cords! Reply
"Attention all grooms: actually, your opinion does matter because actually IT IS YOUR WEDDING. You are there, getting married. At your wedding. It is your wedding." I get that no one else should assume it's automatically 'her wedding', but aren't couples allowed to choose what's important to them? If one partner wants to give 100% control over to the other, who are we to say that's wrong (speaking generally here). I do think it's important to make sure he's giving up control because he WANTS to not because society says he does. The opposite is also true–he shouldn't be pressed to care about things he doesn't just so you can say he's included. " If dude wanted a zombie wedding, he should have been able to have a zombie wedding." But what if SHE didn't want one? I think the better idea is saying that maybe they can compromise. I mean, if my partner said he wanted a Dallas Cowboys themed affair, I'd say absolutely not because I hate them, but we could perhaps do something that made us both happy. Reply
Yeah, my goal here was to suggest that they both have their interests represented. I may have missed the mark, 'cuz you're right! I agree completely. Reply
"Attention all grooms: actually, your opinion does matter because actually IT IS YOUR WEDDING. You are there, getting married. At your wedding. It is your wedding." PREACH. Reply