You know what would make a super-cute wedding theme: retro-poor people chic! At least that's what Sarah Louise Hunt and her groom, Brian thought when they planned their special day. "The 'Depression-era hobo' theme of our wedding didn’t come to us right away. In fact, it was my obsession with the 1930s, the 'great recession,' our own limited budget and, finally, a suggestion from Brian’s grandma, Rose, that planted the tiny seed of the idea into our head," Sarah wrote on the Etsy blog. For $15,000, Sarah and Brian had what they think could've been the first ever hobo-themed nuptials. And after the backlash from the offensive event, it will likely also be the last ever poor-people chic event.
Monday, Etsy ran a post detailing the planning and execution of Brian and Sarah's big day, in which they discuss how they recreated life during the great depression. "We invited our friends and family to share in our happiest of days, wear their shabbiest, drink moonshine, eat their fill of BBQ and pie, dance to a live jug band and howl at the moon." After the post went up, Regretsy's Helen Killer, a site "where DIY meets WTF," which re-posts some of the more regretful Etsy creations, reblogged the hobo-chic wedding, pointing out the sheer insensitivity of it all.
Certainly Sarah and Brian didn't think their genius theme could offend the less fortunate. And some commenters thought the whole shinding was quite cute. "What a memorable wedding for you two and all that attended I am sure... so very creative and oh so comfortable!! very best wishes for many years of happiness," said commenter RedorGrayArt. "Brilliant! So charming and beautifully done. Congrats to both of you and your endless creativity!" added commenter RedMarionette.
After the unfortunate backlash, Etsy's editorial director, Juliet, updated the post with an apology note, mostly regretting the conversation that ensued. "We offer our apologies. It’s very important that Etsy be a place where everyone feels safe and respected, and that all dialogue remains civil. We realize now what we could have done differently as editors and we thank you for sharing your honest reactions. " What exactly they should have "done differently" she does not say, failing to concede the offensiveness of the theme.
The bride and groom also responded to the hoopla. "My 'hobo' wedding is featured on @Etsy blog and all of the Internet is being a dick. :(" tweeted Sarah. We guess that's the risk you run when you share your wedding with the Internet--it's a cruel commenter world out there.