I am a big believer in civility and politeness; I think the world would be a much better place if we all used our nice words and said thank you a little more often. Because of this, I love the Etiquette Hell web site, which is a compendium of stories about people who have the manners of small children (although as I write that I realize what an insult that is to small children everywhere, and I apologize).Being the center of attention -- say, as the bride or groom -- seems to bring out the absolute worst in people, just at a time when everyone around them is falling on themselves to make the offending person happy. And you can see how easy it is to forget your manners when the whole world is at your beck and call. Easy, but still unacceptable.
The Etiquette Hell Bridezilla and Groomonster forum offers a good reminder of what can happen when you decide that a marriage license is also a license to be a big jerk. These are stories of friends and family who were treated badly by crazed brides and oblivious grooms; in many cases the stories end with the dissolution of the friendship in question. And while some of the behavior is laugh-out-loud funny, most of it is completely inexcusable.
Read carefully, brides (and grooms) and take heed. You do NOT want to be these people. The end.
