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U.S. wedding costs soar
Washington Times ^ | 6-15-06 | AP

Posted on 06/15/2006 11:59:09 AM PDT by JZelle

The cost of weddings in the United States has soared to a point some of today's younger generation may be turning away from the ritual. Courtney Martin, whose article on marriages appears in the Christian Science Monitor, seems to be one. She says a typical wedding in 1990 cost $15,208, compared to $4,376 in 1980. Martin, who has no immediate plan to wed her friend of seven years, says that wedding today will set a couple back $22,360, or enough for private college tuition for their future child if that sum is invested at 10 percent return. "Truth be told, we (she and her boyfriend) avoid the topic of walking down the aisle because it is so inextricably tied up with gross, conspicuous consumption," she writes. "We have watched friends get sucked into the tidal wave that is the emotionally manipulative wedding industry -- now totaling $50 billion in sales a year." Saying the marriage ritual has turned into "a circus of decadence," Martin says, "Not only is the egregious spending offensive in a world where too many have too little, but the meaning of the ritual is all but lost amid the designer dresses and lobster dinners."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: decadence; extravagance; wedding; weddingbubble; weredoomed
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To: Kaylee Frye
I am surprised you only had to pay a "couple hundred" on a cake! I decorate cakes (fancy ones, like you see in Martha Stewart, not your kroger special) and I can get several thousand for a cake!
101 posted on 06/15/2006 1:46:04 PM PDT by Grammy
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To: 1FASTGLOCK45

It would make far more sense to get married for $75 and put $25,000 on a house.

Of course it was a few years ago but mine cost $6 and has been good for 30 years.


102 posted on 06/15/2006 1:48:06 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: JZelle

Oh, please. I don't think our wedding cost $5,000, and it was wonderful. It was certainly no society 'do, but it was lovely and it was fun.


103 posted on 06/15/2006 1:48:10 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
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To: dfwgator

Not ours. My mother already had two weddings of her own, and she had my sister's too. Ours was for us.


104 posted on 06/15/2006 1:50:20 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
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To: JZelle

where the hell are these people getting married?

me and the wife's marriage set us back about $4000, which included the reception hall, limo, dresses and all that. It helped that we couldn't go on a honeymoon immediately and it helped that her mom made all of the dresses, but $22Gs?

Ouch.


105 posted on 06/15/2006 1:52:10 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (aka MikeinIraq - WTFO)
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To: Gay State Conservative

Ten bucks says those girls weren't spending thousands and thousands of their own dollars.

Parents can be so stupid sometimes . . .


106 posted on 06/15/2006 1:52:38 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
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To: JZelle
U.S. wedding costs soar

Funny, divorce rates are high, too.

Go figure.

Sigh.

107 posted on 06/15/2006 1:53:27 PM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: eraser2005
Birthday parties should be cake, soda, games - no reason for it to even reach $50

I've been reading about "Sweet Sixteen" parties in the half-million dollar range.

108 posted on 06/15/2006 1:54:04 PM PDT by JoeGar
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To: JZelle

Elope. I always do.

:-o


109 posted on 06/15/2006 1:54:54 PM PDT by bannie (The government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul.)
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To: morans14

When we tied the knot last September, King Henry VIII walked me down the aisle, and he and Queen Catherine and the Spanish Conquistadors formed up an aisle for us when we left the church. It was spectacular!


110 posted on 06/15/2006 1:55:50 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
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To: Red Badger

Is your daughter under 25? 'Cause as a very snotty 25-year-old myself, I went for guys my parents hated - even guys I didn't particularly like, just so long as it pissed off my parents!


111 posted on 06/15/2006 1:57:40 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
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To: steve-b
Some people hold weddings at a resort, expect their guests to pay their own costs, and get offended if some of the people they invite can't/won't shell out that kind of money. Tacky!

One of the advantages of holding a wedding in a far-off locale is that it keeps away all those peripheral people you don't want to invite, but for reasons of decorum, would've had to invite if you'd gotten married at home ;)

I agree, though, about expecting folks to pay their own way.

112 posted on 06/15/2006 1:58:58 PM PDT by Mordacious
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To: JZelle

My son just got married. I got off easy -- just the cost of the rehearsal dinner.


113 posted on 06/15/2006 1:59:09 PM PDT by JoeGar
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To: JZelle
The only choices are "spend in excess of $20,000 on an wedding" or "forego the ritual"? Sheesh! Can you say "false dichotomy"?
114 posted on 06/15/2006 2:02:13 PM PDT by TChris ("Wake up, America. This is serious." - Ben Stein)
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To: Grammy
Do you do fondant cakes? I was surprised at the difference between standard icing and fondant.

Of course, all the Martha Stewart cakes I liked were fondant.



The Rose Tower is one of my favorites.



I like the ribbon cake a lot too.
115 posted on 06/15/2006 2:02:20 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
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To: JZelle
Truth be told, we (she and her boyfriend) avoid the topic of walking down the aisle because it is so inextricably tied up with gross, conspicuous consumption," she writes. "We have watched friends get sucked into the tidal wave that is the emotionally manipulative wedding industry -- now totaling $50 billion in sales a year." Saying the marriage ritual has turned into "a circus of decadence," Martin says, "Not only is the egregious spending offensive in a world where too many have too little, but the meaning of the ritual is all but lost amid the designer dresses and lobster dinners."

Sounds to me like the boyfriend's got cold feet and this dame's blaming it on the ridiculous cost of marrying her. She should just face facts, it's her, not the cost of marrying her.

116 posted on 06/15/2006 2:06:59 PM PDT by old and tired (Run Swannie, run!)
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To: Grammy

Granted, it was a few years ago, but my cake was 3 tired and only cost $40 with the flowers I furnished for it. I know today's cakes are time consuming to decorate. I have Colett Peters' books and then there's whats-her-face with the big glasses who also makes elaborate cakes. My closet claim to fame in the cake decorating business is once having met Kerry Vincent who make a cake for Queen Elizabeth's Golden Anniversary.


117 posted on 06/15/2006 2:07:48 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)
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To: JZelle
Anyone who is using cost as a reason not to get married is lying.

You can get married for almost nothing if you really want to. If your family wants it to be a huge deal, let THEM pay for it.
118 posted on 06/15/2006 2:08:31 PM PDT by Antoninus (I don't vote for liberals -- regardless of party.)
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To: mtbopfuyn

30 years ago my wedding was at a church- we had 6 bridesmaids and 6 ushers (that's what we called them in the OLD days!)..a lovely reception with lots of "finger food"..crab..lobster..shrimp etc..champagne flowing..a wonderful band. The entire "event" including my dress...lots of flowers, bouquets..AND wedding trip (6 days in New England including hotels, meals etc)...cost around $3,000. I thought it was extravagent!

My son and DIL have attended many weddings of friends, and have been in a few as well. They watched the madness and said NOT US! They decided to have a tiny wedding- she bought a pretty dress- nothing exhorbitant, my son has his Army dress blues- so no need to get a tuxedo. We (both sets of parents and some grandparents) drove up to St Augustine (Florida) and had a wedding. We went out for a very good dinner and that was that! We had a blast and so did they- it was perfect. They also now have thousands of dollars in the bank, saved by not spending it on a wedding.


119 posted on 06/15/2006 2:10:01 PM PDT by SE Mom (Proud Mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: Xenalyte
Fondant cakes are all the rage and it's the fondant that makes them so gorgeous, but it tastes NASTY.
120 posted on 06/15/2006 2:11:46 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)
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