History Of Wedding Customs?

Q: Anyone know a good resource that talks about the history of American/Western traditional weddings? I'm getting the sense that much of what's "traditional" today has become traditional fairly recently because the wedding industry has actively worked to make it so. For instance, the diamond engagement ring -- DeBeers wanted to expand their market in the 30s and 40s, so they advertised the idea that it wasn't a luxury but a necessity. (It appears to me that they're attempting to do the same today with anniversary diamonds.) I'd be interested to know what customs truly extend back through time, and what have become standard recently.

A:I found this site a few days ago wondering the same things myself. These are more of the supposed "original" traditions I think but I sure found them interesting especially considering what the wedding industry would like us to think! http://www.foreverafter.com.au/traditions.htm I vote yes. Wende is incredibly knowledgeable about this stuff and not just in a "I read something in a book so I remember it" way, but in a critical, multi-sourced and integrated kind of way. Whenever you have the time and are in the mood, please feel free to write a post as long as you like! I (and I'm sure many others) don't really have the time to go out and do serious research, but would *love* to get past the industry's spin on "tradition" in the marriage ceremony. It truly blows me away that the average American couple spends $20,000 on what's basically a party. To put that in perspective, that's higher than the 1999 poverty line for a family of five. Somehow I suspect that before advertising was so ubiquitous people used a little more common sense. What spin?!?!? It is *absolutely* traditional - dating back to the wedding of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine, I believe - for the HC to provide every guest at the wedding with a full-sized wedding photo album!!! Only someone CHEAP and VULGAR would skimp on this oh-so important wedding tradition!

Discuss It!

Most Popular Articles

More

Marketplace

Related Articles

More

Related Categories

More

Recently Added

More

Other Great Sites