The Bride

The Bride is a rose- headed figure dressed in a gown of layered, painted ruffles, overlaid with hand- sewn lace, real silver leaf, and trim that feels traditional yet contemporary. She is intentionally styled as a “trophy”, immaculate, ornamental, yet she is also the one quickly labelled a “gold- digger.” The irony is deliberate: the expectation that she maintain beauty, elegance, grooming, softness, and presentation is extremely expensive, yet society refuses to acknowledge this “upkeep.” She is judged for embodying exactly what is demanded of her. Her vows reveal her wit:

“For better, for worse” → “for better, for purse.”

“To love and to hold” → “to love and to mould.”

A crossed- out earlier impulse - “to hold onto your assets”, sits beneath the surface.

Her palette is churchlike and gentle, yet her text is razor- sharp. She represents a woman who sees the truth, honours the ritual, and exposes the economics woven into romance.