Friday, October 1, 2010

Inspiration vs. Copying

There has been an interesting discussion/drama going on over at MODG's blog this week. If you don't read her blog, you really should, she's hysterical. Anyways, earlier in the week she posted about another bride who essentially copied almost her entire wedding that took place 4 years ago. She even posted side by side picture comparison's (which she later took down per the other bride's request). The other bride had copied all the main components of her wedding including her venue, photographer, cake, dress (yes her DRESS), decor, even down her hairstyle and fur wrap.

Needless to say MODG was a little creeped out and pissed. She had worked hard designing her wedding which was later posted on TheKnot and various other sites including her photographers and for another bride to come in copy almost everything left her understandably upset.

Here's my take, almost every bride uses magazines, wedding shows and the Internet for wedding inspiration and ideas, I know I certainly did. None of my ideas were 100% original (though Kristian thinks they were and that's fine with me). Countless other brides have had photo guestbooks, CD favors, lace wedding dresses and a black/white/pink color scheme. The difference is that I put my own personal touches on those items. While I may have used similar ideas none of those items were exactly like anybody else's (at least that I know of). And more importantly when you look at my wedding as whole it doesn't look exactly like anyone else's.

And here's the thing I wouldn't want it to! Don't get me wrong I see pictures all the time of gorgeous weddings that I covet and in my fantasies would have loved to have. But ultimately I wanted our wedding to reflect US and not anybody else. That's what a wedding is, a personal representation of your relationship. Why would you want to copy someone else's?

I get that some people aren't as creative and haven't been planning their wedding their whole life like some of us but that's no excuse to just see pictures of someone else's wedding and do the exact same thing. Not to be mean but it just shows laziness and lack of personality in my opinion. So many brides works their asses off to make their weddings original and personal that it just baffles me that someone would do something like that.

So what do you think? Where do you draw the line between inspiration and straight up copying? And would you ever copy all the main components of one person's wedding for your own?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

What?! That's nuts! I wish I could've seen the side-by-side photo comparison.

And I'm right there with you. If another bride out there finds something I do, likes it, and mimics it...well, that's flattery. But if another bride out there finds something I do, likes it, and does the EXACT SAME THING (without any of their personal touches)...well, that's stealing.

All about the couple, folks!

Anonymous said...

What?! That's nuts! I wish I could've seen the side-by-side photo comparison.

And I'm right there with you. If another bride out there finds something I do, likes it, and mimics it...well, that's flattery. But if another bride out there finds something I do, likes it, and does the EXACT SAME THING (without any of their personal touches)...well, that's stealing.

All about the couple, folks!

Heather said...

I personally wouldn't want a carbon copy of someone else's wedding, but I have to say I do feel a bit bad for the other bride to be slammed and have everyone coming down so hard on her. Something about MODG's wedding obviously spoke to her, and if that's how she wanted to spend her time and money, that's completely her choice. If someone else "copied" my wedding, I honestly wouldn't be offended. Our wedding was a beautiful reflection of us, and if someone else feels those elements also reflect their relationship, who am I to stop them or say I "own" those ideas?

Dani said...

I follow her blog so I saw the pics before she took them down. CREEPY. I would be pissed too! Weddings are HARD WORK to plan! I wouldn't want someone taking every single one of my ideas!

Unknown said...

Holy cow! That sounds like some crazy drama!

Jillian said...

Its kind of like plagiarizing... inspiration for ideas is great!!! copying someone elses "work" is wrong

Kristen said...

I agree... immitation is flattery. But at some point, someone should have a want or desire of their own. It's what makes us us. Straight up coying... lame-o.

Anonymous said...

I'd be kind of creeped out too if I found pics of a wedding that was clearly based on ours, so I understand MODG's reaction. But here's the thing -- she agreed to have her wedding photos featured in mass bridal media, like magazines and The Knot. When you do that, it shouldn't come as a surprise that someone saw your photos, thought "ooh, how gorgeous, that's just what I want!" and tried to throw more or less the same wedding you had. Some people really want their weddings to be personal and a reflection of them; others see it as a chance to throw the biggest, most beautiful party they'll ever get to throw, and are totally happy copying the most beautiful wedding they think they've ever seen. (Celeb weddings get copied all the time.)

So I'm with Bicoastal Bride on this one, I came away from that exchange mostly feeling bad for the other bride. It would be different if this bride had been trying to get her photos in magazines too, but it sounds like she only thought family and friends would see them.

Moral of the story: if you put blood, sweat, and tears into your wedding details, and you'd be devastated if someone else copied them, be careful how far you spread your photos!

bananas. said...

yea no...that should be illegal! and did she really think no one would notice?!? uhhhh...what a dumb ass! i would be LIVID if someone copied my wedding. shoot i get pissed when someone copies my ikea buys. so what if it's ikea, i still bought it first. try getting your own design personality LOSER!!!!

haha can you tell this is getting personal? i should stop.

happy weekend to you love!!!

Cindy Van Dyck said...

Hayhay!
How are you? Your blog is great and I love your style! I'm glad that I've visited yours.

Please, check mine, & maybe we can follow eachother? + join my giveaway!

Thanks and love,
Cindy

Venassa said...

That's really creepy. Why would anyone even WANT their wedding to be identical to someone else's? Borrow a few ideas, sure, but the whole thing? Too creepy.

Meagan said...

I have to say love the new blog name, its adorbale! I have been following along with the MODG drama and I was shocked! I don't know who does that. I was the type of bride that didn't want to look like my friends. I wanted my dress to be different. I came up with some of the ideas on my own and I've seen other people do similar things and I think they came up with the ideas on their own too. I guess its flattering but I get why she is pissed.

beka said...

It makes me sad when I go to a wedding and it feels like it was all just printed off from the knot... I mean, we all have trendy or popular things/traditions/ideas at our weddings, but for me, I want to see something about the bride and groom that is THEM you know?

Mrs T said...

Wish the photos were still on her blog - now I am DYING to see them.

It would be a bit weird - especially since the bride never contacted her before. But I think it's like when you're a kid and someone copies you and teachers would say "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

Nicole-Lynn said...

Oh wow! I wouldn't know if I would be upset or flatterd! I completey agree with you and think your wedding should refelct your personalities and who you are as a couple, not some generic wedding or what's in a magazine.

I am definitely personalzing our wedding and using small ideas I see online.