For those of us who have worked in the wedding industry for a while, it can be exhausting to watch the annual cycle of writers and industry leaders predicting hot new wedding trends (anyone remember when " global meat" was supposedly a trend?). Inevitably, then the same folks tell us all which wedding trends that have jumped the shark.

That thing you like? IT'S OVER.

Almost monthly, someone will dutifully decree that candy buffets are over, photo booths are over, burlap is over, barn weddings are over.

I read one article with a trend expert who explained, "Gone are the days of the white hydrangea," and I thought - wait, the white hydrangea had days? What the fuck?

On any given day, you can simultaneously find someone bemoaning and celebrating the exact same fucking trend! Boho weddings are sooooo hot this year! No wait: " We'll see the bohemian trend head out before you know it."

Meanwhile, mason jars have supposedly been an overdone wedding trend since 2011, but guess what? NO ONE CARES.

...Or rather, those of us who work in the wedding industry or wedding media care... but only because it's our job to look at hundreds of weddings every year, and we're human and we get bored and want to see more variety to keep our jobs more interesting so that we feel less fatigued. This fatigue has nothing to do with you, the people getting married, and everything to do with industry folks' professional patience and exasperation.

Even as one of these industry people (remember, Offbeat Bride is totally part of the wedding industrial complex), I'm here to tell you: my opinions about the things you like are not your freaking problem!

I'm reminded of my six-year-old brony son wearing his My Little Pony tank top to school.

"I bet Antony will tell me My Little Pony is for babies," he said.

"And what will you say if he does?" I asked.

"I don't know," he mused.

"Here's what I'd say: 'Dude, I like what I like!'"

"Yeah, except for Antony might not like being called dude," my son said.

"That's fair," I said. "We should always let people pick which labels they use to describe themselves, and Antony might not identify as a dude. So I guess I'd just say, 'Meh, I like what I like!"

If someone tries to tell you that the wedding thing you like is overdone? Jumped the shark? Soooo last year? Just shrug and say, Meh, I like what I like.

Here's the reality: Each of us is susceptible to trends, both in weddings and otherwise. Almost everyone (outside of those who work in the wedding industry or media) don't even know what the trends are. Yeah, here at Offbeat Bride, we see a lot of steampunk weddings... but nobody else really does. We've seen how long Burning Man weddings have been around, but people going to Burning Man this year don't really care what someone did there a decade ago.

You want to talk about TRULY pervasive trends? Let's look at home decor... but very few people tell you to avoid doing something in your home just because it's been done before. (Well, ok fine: some people do.) If you like something, like it.

If you like something, just like it! If it tickles you, just do it - regardless of who else is doing it. Why should you care if you're "falling" for wedding trends?

You know what I think takes the cake for overdone wedding trends? The trend of complaining about people liking what they like. Shitting on people because they like something? Now THAT has totally jumped the shark.