According to this piece over in today’s Toronto Star, the big white dress is back. Judging from the designs I’ve been looking at, I say it’s been back at least for a year but according to the writer, this year’s Oscar red carpet, which saw a number of over-the-top ball gowns, is responsible for bringing back the BWD.

Now, this blog is supposed to be about “common sense” wedding planning and really, there’s nothing remotely practical about spending thousands of dollars on a massive white dress that you’ll only wear for a few hours. Really, if you think about it logically, it’s like buying a Mercedes and using it for one trip.

But as I’ve said before, there’s nothing logical about weddings. And while it is stupid to buy a dress you simply can’t afford, I do get the appeal of the BWD. As one of the sources in the article points out, for most women, their wedding is the only time in their lives where they will get to spend a good chunk of cash on a beautiful dress.And if that’s what you want to do (and can afford to do), then go ahead and do it. After all, a wedding that you look back upon with regret is just as bad as one that was shamelessly self-indulgent.