INSEAD weddings

If you think the INSEAD money-drain is over 3 years after starting that overly expensive year – think again. Sure, chances are you can save big time on hotel rooms. Maybe you’ll gain a bit more than before (although this doesn’t count for a lot of resident partners – they’ve put their career on hold, and have to start all over again). But the loan is not fully paid back yet, and…. people are getting married. In Sri-Lanka, Mallorca, Mumbai, Munich, etc. Think: gift, outfit, plane tickets, hotel room. A money drain time and again.

“Okay, don’t go then” you might say. Not an option. ‘cause you see: these weddings are very often the perfect opportunity to finally get back together with some of your most precious friends, whom you haven’t seen in months. And do you really want to feel left-out while watching the pics of another great party on Facebook? Nope. So – once more – you dig into your (already empty) savings’ account. You buy the gorgeous dress you saw that perfectly fits into the “Twenties-theme” of the next wedding, you get a haircut you can’t afford right now, you spend hours online looking for the cheapest plane tickets (no, they’re all expensive), you sleep in the very fancy designated hotel (while a youth hostel would be more fitting for your current financial status). And of course, you give a generous gift (because you got married too, and you know how appreciated these gifts are).

And then I’m not even talking about the weird looks your boss gives you every time you say “uhm, I need a few days off to go to a wedding in X-Y-Z”. Even my hairdresser chuckles and asks “and where is this wedding taking place?”.

Yes, I DO still have friends in Belgium. But most of them are already far beyond the marrying-phase (let’s face it: INSEADers are not exactly early bloomers). About some new friends in Belgium : you’ll never believe it – but they happen to be INSEADers too…and they’re getting married in Bali next April!