Always a bridesmaid, never in debt

I was at happy hour with some co-workers last night and we started talking about engagements and weddings. I typically hate this kind of conversation because it's pretty much the same conversation every time: "You've been with your boyfriend how long? Wow. When are you getting married?" Ugh. When we feel like it and/or when thirty grand magically drops into our laps, okay?

A snippet of my conversation with two idiots last night:

Idiot No. 1: "Wow, you've been with your boyfriend forEVER! When are you getting married?"
Not Idiot No. 1: "I don't know. Whenever we save enough money, I guess."
Idiot No. 2: "Wait. Do you share a checking account with your boyfriend?"
NI#1: "No."
I#1: "Well, I guess a ring CAN be expensive."
NI#1: "Not just the ring -- a wedding itself is expensive!"

Their blank faces and raised eyebrow glances at each other could only mean that they didn't think about the fact that I would pay for my own wedding. I'm astonished that many people I meet don't understand that some of us intend to pay for our own weddings. While I've had much help from my family throughout the years (college, the depressy-not-working aftermath), I wouldn't dream of asking anyone to shell out a bunch of money for my big party. I don't know how I'll do it when the time comes for us to get married, what with my expensive beer habit, but I'm not going to let a little debt scare me into asking the parentals to buy us a big party.

Oh, the miserable freedom of paying for your own shit.