What is it about weddings that make good girls go bad?

I'm not talking about good girls going bad in the sense you're probably thinking... get your minds out of the gutter.

I'm talking about those financially responsible girls who suddenly feel like they need to spend thousands on a dress.

I see it every time I watch "Say Yes to the Dress" (and yes, I have made my boyfriend watch every episode with me... he pretends to like it, just like I pretend to like the neon green shorts he wears wakeboarding in the summer).

A woman goes in with a set budget and blows it by at least $1500.

I won't pretend that I disagree with the idea of spending a hefty sum on a dress if it's absolutely perfect (this coming from a girl who spent over $600 on her grad dress). I'd do it... but then again, I don't fool myself into believing that I'd have a dead-set budget. I think it's much more realistic to go in thinking I'll spend between $2000 and $4000 so that my family doesn't suffer from sticker shock.

I'm scared... very scared for the time when I buy my dress. I am very talented in the field of justification- which is why I have a pair of $300, 4.5-inch black patent leather Stuart Weitzman stilettos that I've worn a total of three times "because they're obviously sitting shoes but I couldn't not buy them when they were 40% off " (you do the math on what those babies actually cost before the sale).

I guess only time will tell... and that reminds me, I might need a few years to work on getting a loan for my dress... Oh Mommy...