I read this really interesting book - One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding by Rebecca Mead at the end of last spring. Since then, I myself have been welcomed into the long line and tradition of engaged women. While it is a great place to be at in life, it also brings to mind so many questions that were never thought of before. Why do we celebrate weddings the way that we do? How did the wedding industry come to be a $161-billion industry in this country? Does it really matter if you have a "color scheme" or not?
Mead interviews various people involved in the wedding industry, from the Chinese laborers who hand-sew beads onto expensive gowns and receive very little payment in return, to the employees at Disney who can craft the perfect dream wedding at Cinderella's castle, to small towns that sustain their church by turning it into a wedding chapel. A lot of the pomp and frill of weddings has always bothered me, and I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason why. After reading this book I am able to say, "Aha! And THAT is why it has bothered me!" Because a wedding isn't about all of the pomp and frills. Its a day - and one that is over very quickly. Put thought and care into its structure of course, but make sure that you are putting equal time into the most important planning and preparation of all - for marriage. At a time when the divorce rate is so high it should be a necessity.
Whether or not you are getting married, have been married for years, or are just interested in the thought process of the greater American population, you may want to look into this book. It will certainly give you something to chew on.
Mead interviews various people involved in the wedding industry, from the Chinese laborers who hand-sew beads onto expensive gowns and receive very little payment in return, to the employees at Disney who can craft the perfect dream wedding at Cinderella's castle, to small towns that sustain their church by turning it into a wedding chapel. A lot of the pomp and frill of weddings has always bothered me, and I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason why. After reading this book I am able to say, "Aha! And THAT is why it has bothered me!" Because a wedding isn't about all of the pomp and frills. Its a day - and one that is over very quickly. Put thought and care into its structure of course, but make sure that you are putting equal time into the most important planning and preparation of all - for marriage. At a time when the divorce rate is so high it should be a necessity.
Whether or not you are getting married, have been married for years, or are just interested in the thought process of the greater American population, you may want to look into this book. It will certainly give you something to chew on.
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