I know this might be taboo to talk about, but I want to discuss shotgun weddings. So let’s suppose your boyfriend knocks you up. You say you’ve been talking about marriage anyway, because that’s what everyone says when this kind of thing happens. But the question is this: do you hurry up and have a shotgun wedding before the baby comes or do you wait until the baby is born before you tie the knot?

You wouldn’t think that this is a decision that often plagues residents of well-to-do small towns, but it’s more prevalent than you realize. It’s not terribly uncommon to be preggers as you walk down aisle. But I’m going to be honest – I don’t think I’d ever do it.

Here is my logic:

1. Planning a wedding in a short amount of time is difficult and usually results in not getting exactly what you want.

2. You may neglect to give your guests appropriate warning, resulting in a smaller attendance rate.

3. Unless you had a ring on your finger during conception, you’ll never REALLY know if the guy would have married you sans child. It sucks, but it’s reality.

4. It’s trashy. I’m sorry. The kid is unplanned and you are rushing to avoid a stigma. And everyone knows it.

Alternatives? Elope to Hawaii or just suck it up and include your newborn in the post-birth wedding.

What do YOU think?

Note: Just to clear things up, this entry isn’t about a specific person. It’s about a collection of people I know of who have recently been faced with unexpected pregnancies. It’s honestly too many to list, but if you beg me via email, I’ll give you the details of every single of them.