For $12,500, You Can Meet With A Brides Magazine Editor (But Why?)

Brides magazine is often considered the bible of wedding planning. And thanks to a (ridiculously expensive) new initiative, soon-to-be brides will be able to extend their Brides research beyond the pages with a real-life consultation. Just in time to cash in on engagement season, Brides has unveiled its "Bridal Style Package," which allows brides-to-be to tour the magazine's New York offices, meet with a senior fashion editor, and receive customized style advice. The price of the package is a cool $12,500 (and if you want to bring your mom or maid of honor, make that $15,000). Which, we'd like to remind you, is about half of the cost of an average American wedding. In addition to the tour, the Bridal Style Package includes a chance to try on wedding dresses from Brides' fashion closet (cue the "Oohs" and "Aahs"). But we'd also like to remind you that you could do the same thing at a bridal boutique for free — and actually walk out with the dress, too (though that part won't be free). If you're planning a wedding, you already know that vendor services and venue rentals aren't cheap. If you spend $12,500 on a trip to the Brides office, you're likely slashing the budget for a DJ, wedding cake, gown, or other expenses. Even if you do have the extra cash, it would be wiser to invest it in a wedding planner in your area, who can provide much more insight into the logistics of your wedding than you'll get from a couple-hour meeting in New York (that includes breakfast, but not lunch). "What I'm seeing from our research is that the millennial girl wants experiences," Brides publisher Michelle Myers told WWD. Unfortunately for Brides, wedding-planning with your significant other — without plunking down extra dough you probably don't have — is still an incredible experience, and there are about a billion better ways to spend that money.