Do You Want Fries With That?

The news that visitors to Helzberg Diamonds can now not only buy a wedding ring, but actually get married kind of makes sense to me. In a world when wedding planning seems to have gotten crazily out of hand (thanks Pinterest!), going down the elopement route is a way of stepping out of the whole wedding day madness.

According to a survey by Helzberg, more than half of all respondents believe engagement trends and wedding traditions should be modernized. While that doesn't necessarily mean people want to forgo their wedding altogether, many are looking for a different way of doing things.

Adding even more pressure, another survey, this time by WeddingWire, found that nearly three-quarters of couples said they feel pressured to plan a unique proposal. Sadly, this pressure can have devastating consequences. A man recently died while proposing to his girlfriend - underwater - in Tanzania. What should have been the happiest day of this couple's life turned into a day of needless tragedy. 

But back to the elopement issue. With couples reportedly spending 45 percent more on their weddings than initially expected, and weddings in the U.S. taking an average of 15 months to plan, it's not surprising that financially savvy couples are seriously thinking about eloping either a la Helzberg or somewhere else (Gretna Green is still a popular choice). 

The Helzberg survey backes this up. The top reasons given for elopement were to save money (59 percent), to avoid having to plan the ceremony (46 percent) and to make the ceremony more intimate (43 percent). 

While getting married in a jewelry store might not be everyone's idea of a dream day, it all comes down to personal choice. And, let's be honest, the jewelry shop option seems like an especially classy choice given some of the others out there.

Since 2011, couples in Hong Kong have been able to celebrate their engagement and wedding in McDonald's restaurants across the city. And while it might seem weird and a bit tacky from our western perspective, apparently in Hong Kong it's not at all tacky to have your nuptials at the world's biggest fast food chain.

For something more palatable to the U.S. palate, couples in Las Vegas (natch) can roll up to the Las Vegas Taco Bell Cantina for their nuptials (it costs $600 and couples get all sorts of swag including a sauce packet garter and bow tie, a cake and a taco 12 pack).

Are we going to see more jewelry retailers following Helzberg's venture down the aisle? It's hard to say, but I wouldn't be surprised. After all, these days, it's all about the consumer experience and this really is the ultimate customer service offering.

But where people get married really isn't important. What is important is that people are still getting married, and still buying jewelry, even if some couples are celebrating with tacos and burgers rather than champagne and wedding cake!

Have a fabulous weekend.