But in the 1960s and '70s, many young couples steeped in countercultural disdain for displays of wealth and status chose simpler ceremonies. Chicago retailer Marshall Field's published the first bridal registry in 1924, Brides magazine debuted in 1934, and after World War II, the boom in marriages kicked the wedding industry into high gear.

But as far back as the 1920s, the rising American middle class sought to establish its status by imitating the high-society white wedding. 'The whole culture of extravagant weddings encourages women to think that they have to do it, even though they're not going to be able to pay next month's rent - or even the DJ,' Mead says.įor people of means, weddings have always been an occasion for an extravagant display of wealth.

Many young couples feel such pressure to keep up that they're staging ceremonies and receptions they really can't afford, says Rebecca Mead, author of One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding. This nuptial extravagance is being driven by what some have called the 'wedding industrial complex' - a $70 billion business sector comprising all the dressmakers, florists, reception halls, event planners, photographers, caterers, limo firms, DJs, bands, and jewelry designers that many people now consider necessary for a wedding that matches their dreams. In other words, many couples are spending on a single event lasting a few hours the equivalent of a year's tuition at college, or what the average American makes in an entire year. In affluent areas, the cost is even higher: In Boston, the average price of a wedding is $39,239 in Santa Barbara, Calif., it's $42,319 and in Manhattan, $76,687. Last year the average American wedding, including the requisite reception, cost $28,427.

One perfect day rebecca mead