Bride wants clown at wedding

This has to be fake:

Dear Amy: My girlfriend and I met through a dating site and have been blissfully dating for six months. We are in our early 30s and very much in love. We respect each other and have a great deal of fun together.

We are in a committed relationship and have discussed marriage in its early stages. However, we are in complete opposition regarding a wedding celebration. I want an elaborate hall wedding, and she wants to save money and have a more intimate buffet wedding in her sister's backyard.

She wants a clown, magician and inflatable bouncing machine for children at the celebration, but I think it's more for her own enjoyment.

Can you suggest a compromise?

Signed, The "Odd" Couple

Dear "Odd": My solution to your wedding dilemma is to suggest that you both scale down your plans -- but have two celebrations instead of one.

Your girlfriend's idea sounds like a lot of fun for an engagement party or rehearsal dinner but not for a wedding. Bouncy castles, beer and bridesmaids do not mix.

Photo Credit to DJ_Bass
You could dial down your own concept and still have a lovely, elegant and memorable affair that also conveys your girlfriend's sense of fun -- but doesn't cost a year's wages or involve a clown.

When I married my own Mr. Fancy Pants last year, I wanted to serve barbecue chicken and corn on the cob at the reception dinner. He didn't.

We compromised by doing everything his way. (Not that I'm bitter.)

When it comes to marriage, sometimes the best compromise is to recognize that the other person might actually have the better idea.


I'm terrified of clowns, so I think this is a pretty far-out idea, but I would LOVE to see pictures of this wedding. I hope there's someone out there who will have a circus-themed engagement party.

-Kay