"Personalize Your Wedding" Draft

Personalize and Perfect Your Wedding

The Daily Universe publishes a magazine called the Bridal Guide. This magazine is seen around the BYU campus with a beautiful bride is a cream-colored gown and simple bouquet in her hand. Because the BYU campus is drowned in the dating attitude, this captivating cover draws attention to this magazine. But the Bridal Guide isn’t just for looks. The Bride Guide gives quality advice on many concerns in a wedding. It provides information to act on the advice it gives, namely through local advertisements. The Bridal Guide inspires each soon-to-be bride to personalize her wedding by advertising many options for the basic wedding elements: cake, dress, decorations, locations, photography, rings, and more. This magazine benefits brides, grooms, mothers of the bride and groom, bridesmaids, and nearly everyone involved in a wedding.

The Bridal Guide appeals to the audience in two different ways: through ethos, pathos, and logos, and through tools and appeals. I think that tools and appeal are a form of kairos, but addressed and handled more specifically.

Ethos:

The publisher of the Bridal Guide is the Daily Universe. The Daily Universe compiled advertisements and articles to create this magazine. The credibility of the authors flows together. Each author goes along the same line: A perfect wedding that’s your very own personality and that allows you to be happy. The credibility of the advertisers is sometimes hard to find. These advertisers show websites and phone numbers. Some advertisements say, “Chosen Provo’s Best.” Publishing their information shows credibility because if their advertising works, someone is sure to contact them and expect what they advertised. The Daily Universe has credibility because it’s been around forever. People assume the Daily Universe is a reliable source.

Pathos:

The intended audience of the Bridal Guide is obviously the soon-to be bride. Each bride pictures her wedding as the perfect day with the perfect dress, cake, and decorations, just to name a few. It’s shown in Hollywood fairytales how perfect a wedding can be. Every bride wants to be the princess of that fairytale. But the perfect wedding is not easy to plan. The Bridal Guide addresses almost every subject associated with weddings, from dresses to changing the name on a driver’s license. Planning a wedding, let alone a perfect wedding, can be extremely overwhelming and stressful. But with each concern laid out in one place, in this one magazine, it’s easier for the bride to be organized and less stressed. Not only is this magazine a stress-reliever, it’s fun to look at! The pictures and snap shots of couples and brides help each bride to imagine her own wedding. Each woman thinks of herself in her own princess gown with her own prince charming. The author appeals to the emotions of the audience by displaying images that relate to the audience.

Logos:

The logical appeals of the Bridal Guide to the audience are shown in a lot of the pictures. For example, there is an article that talks about picking out the engagement ring. It gives the different kinds of diamond shapes, colors, and carats. It gives advice on what to look for in the best ring. The advice this articles gives is logical because it says, “When a diamond is well-cut, every facet will reflect upon it.” This statement is logical because every bride wants a beautiful to show off to her friends, and every man wants to be macho and buy a nice, expensive ring for his bride. Another example of logos is shown through pictures of different cakes. Each wedding must be altered to fit the personality of the two people getting married. Even the cake has to show personality. In this magazine, there are two pages of different styles of cake including traditional, modern, whimsical, and even a groom’s cake. It makes sense that, as a wedding style changes to fit a personality, so must the cake.

The Daily Universe compiles articles and advertisements that display rhetorical tools. Rhetorical tools put things in a new context for the audience to have a greater understanding of the intent. These tools allowed the audience to better relate to the subject. The Bridal Guide uses many rhetorical tools, all in different ways. Here are some of the ways these tools are being executed:

1. Tone - "Ten things you should know before buying your wedding gown" This is a subtitle to the article, “Here Comes the Bride.” The article is about doing the necessary consequential steps to finding the perfect princess gown for a bride’s wedding. You have to have the right attitude and mind set for finding the perfect dress.

2. Diction - "Choose a cake that fits your personality" The author of the cake article is trying to communicate that cakes can have personality too. A cake has to go along with the theme of the wedding, and must be exactly what the bride and groom deem important.

3. Connotation – “Fairy Godmother’s Bridal” Cinderella is the epitome of princess. With her most beautiful gown for her wedding, the connotation of the title of this shop is that in here, you will find the most beautiful gown – just for you.

4. Imagery - "The Skyroom's breath-taking views and delicious menu make it an ideal location for your wedding celebration." I immediately imagine the perfect scenario of my wedding with my favorite food in a beautiful romantic atmosphere. I bet every other bride is picturing her perfect scenario as well. These words help spark images into the minds of the audience. I also noticed that in the magazine, there are two full page advertisements for Skyroom Wedding Celebration but they look completely different. All the same information is on there, but the placement and style of the two pages is totally different. I thought it was interesting. I wonder how many people look at one ad without ever seeing the other.

5. Over-statement - "The Perfect Bridesmaid: A happy bridesmaid makes a happy bride" A happy bridesmaid DOES NOT guarantee the happiness of a bride. I think this is definitely an over-statement. But one’s BFF who never ceases to serve as a bridesmaid can contribute to the happiness and stress-maintenance of the bride.

6. Denotation - "Weddings on a Budget" Here at BYU and many other colleges, I imagine the majority of people getting married are tight on money. So the phrase “Weddings on a Budget” takes on a new meaning. Everyone wants the best wedding they can afford. I think this article draws students into it. All students are looking to save and earn money.

7. Figurative Language - I actually used a picture for this. There is one picture of a very happy couple. I imagine myself with the person I love, and it makes me happy! I would want to keep a portion of that feeling wherever I go by having a picture of it. Everyone knows that a good photographer is vital for good memories and snapshots. So the figurative language of this picture is that a wedding needs a good photographer.

8. Personification - "Fun and flirty, this cake can go for any shape and color." Can a cake be flirtatious? I don't think so. But looking at a cake that is well designed can evoke personal emotional, which affects how you think and act.

Without ethos, pathos, logos, and rhetorical tools, I do not think there would be any such thing as a rhetorical analysis. The Daily Universe uses all of these methods to capture the audience with exquisite photographs, wedding gowns, and different styles of cake, just to name a few. The Bridal Guide inspires each soon-to-be bride to personalize her wedding by advertising many options for the basic wedding elements: cake, dress, decorations, locations, photography, rings, and more.