Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale ranks among the greatest dystopian novels of all time, and the modern TV show adaptation aired to critical acclaim. However, it's perhaps not the sort of story you'd like to dwell on during what should be the happiest day of your life.
One bride now claims she is considering theming her wedding day around the dark sci-fi book and will include some of the more chilling aspects of the narrative. Asking people to 'hear her out' before passing judgment, the bride-to-be excitedly announced her intention to have her bridesmaids dressed in the blood-red garb of the handmaids.
For those unfamiliar with the fictional world of Gilead, the handmaids are fertile women who've been separated from their homes and families and forced to reproduce children for sinister commanders and their wives.
Detailing her plans cheerfully in a social media post, the unnamed woman added that she would be wearing a green gown, while the groomsmen would all be 'dressed like drivers and watchers'. In Gilead, the drivers are responsible for driving around the powerful families while the watchers here appear to refer to the 'eyes' who spy on members of households and turn over any dissenters.
Including a string of 'dancing' emojis, she continued: "Hubby will be dressed like Commander Lawrence. Food will be prepared by dressed Marthas and the flower girl will be my mini Hannah. What other cool things can I have?"
Played by Bradley Whitford in the series, Commander Lawrence is one of the architects of Gilead, having overseen the economy and the horrifically polluted colonies where women convicted of crimes are sent to toil in toxic fields. The Marthas are women who serve as domestic servants within the homes of commanders against their will, cooking, cleaning, and raising children.
The 'mini Hannah' refers here to the young daughter of protagonist June (played by Elizabeth Moss in the TV show) who was kidnapped after the desperate family attempted to escape Gilead during the early days of the cruel regime.
The 'crass' post was shared on Reddit by an individual who goes by the username u/Simply-Agreeable. They claimed the bride had been 'dead serious' about going ahead with the controversial idea and had argued fiercely against those who opposed her.
Many people have been left with their jaws practically on the floor, wondering how on Earth the woman could have misinterpreted the harrowing novel to such an extraordinary extreme.
One person wrote: "I usually try to defend a couple's right to pick a theme even if I don't like it, but this one is testing my resolve. The best I can come up with is to warn all the guests and understand that some will not attend."
Another shuddered: "This has got to be the stupidest idea I have ever, ever heard of. Worse than the puppet wedding. The Handmaid's Tale is a dark and terrifying story. A wedding is supposed to be a happy occasion. Is this husband going to cut off the bride's finger for reading? Horrible, horrible idea."
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