In a few weeks, a local channel, QTV-11 will be launching a reality tv show about soon-to-wed couples. The groom and bride to bes will be subjected to several relationship tests and the winning couple will be awarded with the wedding of their dreams, including the honeymoon. Cool huh? In a country like the Philippines where soon-to-weds are usually economically-challenged (and wanting lots of frills that don't really make a wedding, just some nice-to-haves that vendors lure couples into), a wedding contest can be a good thing.
I once joined one. I even got the 1st runner up title. And just like Ms. Universe, if the winner would forfeit her prize for any reason, the prize will be given to the 1st runner up. The contest was in June 2004 and I still had my dream wedding in August of the same year. After taking so long to decide, the winner did eventually forfeit the prize but since the sponsoring vendors already backed out, I only got the honeymoon prize -- a 3-day-2 nights accommodation package in a posh Palawan resort. Not bad at all.
I never thought reality TV shows about weddings would click but I found myself hooked on three shows on the Lifestyle Channel: Whose Wedding Is It anyway?, For Better or For Worse and The I Do Diaries. The first one is about real weddings from a wedding planner's point of view. The second one is about the families of the bride and groom who will plan and execute the wedding without consulting the bride and groom all within a budget of $5,000. The last one is about two brides-to-be planning each others' wedding. Like any reality show, there are usually glitches but the wedding usually turns out okay, some better than the others.
Can't wait to watch the local version airing in March I think.
