I can't believe how much money they spent on Trisha and Ryan's pink wedding, but just gave Meredith and Ian a trip to Brazil. It's much more exciting to watch Meredith and Ian. Meredith and Ian seems so natural together. I think she made a daring decision. I totally respect her decision. I'm tired of people bashing Ian and feeling sorry for Matthew. Matthew should have realized before joining the show that there is only room for 1 winner.

Congrats again to Meredith and Ian. Erin and Chad and Meredith and Ian are my favorite reality show couple!

I hope there will be a show to give me updates on all these couples.

• RE: ABC is cheap with Meredith and Ian,qwertypie, 03:44 PM, 02-27-04
  • Cheap dates, too.,RealityAddict, 04:10 PM, 02-27-04
    • RE: Cheap dates, too.,qwertypie, 04:18 PM, 02-27-04
    • Break the bank? Not likely,realitybites, 02:41 AM, 02-28-04
      • RE: Break the bank? Not likely,AMAI, 08:38 AM, 02-28-04
        • RE: Break the bank? Not likely,realitybites, 12:06 PM, 02-28-04
      • RE: Break the bank? Not likely,qwertypie, 12:29 PM, 02-28-04
• RE: ABC is cheap with Meredith and Ian,redefine_perfection13, 04:44 PM, 02-28-04
  • RE: ABC is cheap with Meredith and Ian,Chrissy gal, 08:16 PM, 02-28-04

I think it is because they spent so much on Ryan and Trista's Barbie dream come true Pink wedding (4 million dollars!?! absolutely DISGUSTING) that they had to be so cheap with Ian and Meredith. I am surprised they could even afford the trip to Brazil.

At least Meredith and Ian got something...I don't recall any of the previous couples getting anything...maybe I'm wrong here, but I don't think Andrew and Jen got a trip??? But then again, shouldn't a 3 1/2 carat ROCK be gift enough???

BUT, moving on to my real reason for posting...the dates that Meredith and this season's bachelors went on looked a lot more inexpensive than the dates that Trista and Bob and Andrew etc. got to experience. Perhaps the pepto-wedding DID break the bank.

"pepto-wedding" ? LOL I must admit this is the first time I heard that phrase. Maybe if I had some I would have been able to sit and watch the entire production. Still makes me shudder.

> Perhaps the pepto-wedding DID break the bank.

Nah. I'm sure Disney had money lying around for just such an occasion. If not, they would easily have been able to borrow it.

But what did ABC get for their $4 million? They got 3 episodes of "Trista & Ryan's Wedding", along with some repeats on ABC Family. It breaks down to about $1.33 million per episode - expensive for a reality show, but I'm sure it's less than their dramas (and it got higher ratings too, and higher ratings usually equals more money per commercial spot). My guess is that they made money on the first showing, and every time they show it again they make more.

Anyway, in response to the original poster, I'm sure ABC would be more than willing to pony up the big bucks if & when they decide to get married on TV. I'm not holding my breath for two reasons:

1) Meredith and Ian seem much less like media whores than Trista
2) Once Meredith figures Ian out, I don't think she's going to like what she sees

2) Once Meredith figures Ian out, I don't think she's going to like what she sees

That's entirely possible, but she nevertheless did the right thing by going for it to find out. She's better off finding out that the yummy package isn't so great on the long haul, than being too chicken to take the risk.

>2) Once Meredith figures Ian out, I don't think she's going
>to like what she sees
>
>That's entirely possible, but she nevertheless did the right
>thing by going for it to find out. She's better off finding
>out that the yummy package isn't so great on the long haul,
>than being too chicken to take the risk.

I agree. She's happy for now, and that's really all you can ask for.

>Anyway, in response to the original
>poster, I'm sure ABC would
>be more than willing to
>pony up the big bucks
>if & when they decide
>to get married on TV.

I have to disagree. I think ABC are saving their money for when Trista and Ryan decide to have their first child and we'll get treated to the whole glorious nine months of prenatal visits, decorating the nusery in pink (if it's a girl) and pink (if it's a boy), picking out high chairs, strollers, pink frilly baby clothes, Trista squealing over stretch marks, swollen ankles, a drunk Ryan begging his married guy friends to come back to the stripper party, etc. etc.
Enough to make me chuck my TV out for good.

Well perhaps it was on account of the fact that Ian and Meredith have just gotten engaged and Ryan and Trista have been together for over a year and that they had already started planning their wedding with in a few weeks of being finished with the show?

The first Bachelorette finished taping in November, 2002. The Bachelorette aired on ABC starting in January, 2003. Trista and Ryan went into negotiations with ABC to televise their wedding in the summer of 2003 (June or July). As soon as the contract was signed, ABC started promoting the event.

I think that ABC and Extra had so much hype about the wedding that it seemed to the viewers that the televised wedding had been planned since the show ended, but in fact Ryan and Trista left the "After the Rose" night with the engagement ring (just like Alex and Amanda, and Bob and Estella).