Wedding industry in the United States

Every year in the United States, there are approximately 2.5 million weddings, and the wedding industry has grown to an empire of 40 billion dollars per year. The following provides a sociological overview of how the wedding industry functions, and how it has become the economic giant seen today.

Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties

Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties have been going on for more than sixty years. Many countries have celebrated these parties in different ways with different activities. Bachelor parties were believed to have started first before bachelorette parties. It is believed that bachelorette parties started sometime during the sexual revolution in the 1960s. Bachelor parties can also be known as stag nights or stag parties. The bachelor party is supposed to be the final night out for guys to participate in various activities that the groom's fiance would usually not approve of. Also, it is so that the groom can spend his last moments of the "single" life with his male friends. Different events are known to go on during bachelor parties. Guys will engage in different activities such as going out to a bar or "bar hoping," going to strip clubs, or even hiring a stripper to come to the host's home. Some believe that bachelor parties is like a rite of passage from bachelorhood to a more responsible martial life with their spouse. The person to organize the party is usually the best man or the sibling of the groom. Usually the groom is not to know about any of the activities that are going to take place.

Different countries hold different types of "bachelor parties." For example, Denmark has parties called a Polteraband. The men will meet for breakfast, then go on to activities such as paintball or some sort of activity that is very causal, then dinner at a nice restaurant and finally go out on the town. Also, France has parties that are call "enterrenment de vie de garcon" which literally means burial of the life as a bachelor. These parties usually contain heavy drinking and sometimes they will hire a stripper.

Bachelorette parties are a little different from bachelor parties. Sometimes, women do not like to go as crazy as the men do. Bachelorette parties are also known as hen do, hen parties, and hen nights. Some activities that can be held are exchanging and laughing about intimate secrets with the bride's closest girl friends, getting drunk, strip clubs, and some drinking games. Also, the maid of honor usually always gives a speech to the guest of honor. Unlike the guys, the women do not want to ever embarrass the bride to be. This could cause problmes if this happens.

Cost of bachelor and bachelorette parties can vary depending on what the party is going to entitle. If the party was very casual and everyone ate a normal meat at host's home and did games such as horse shoes or bocce, then it may cost 15-30 dollars per person. If everyone went out to a steakhouse or sushi bar, then went bar hopping or wine tasting, it may cost 35-50 dollars per person. Or lastly, say the party was held at a upscale hotel or resort with a 5 course mean and then everyone went out to a nightclub in a limo or a party in a suite then people may be paying anywhere from 150 dollars to 300 dollars. This is usually the standard amount.

Weddings in the Media

As of 2006, Bridal Television Shows in the United States attracted more than 30% of the brides planning their wedding each year and over 6,000 bridal shows have taken place each year. Wedding TV shows allow viewers to see all the hard work and planning that goes into this one day event. Though humorous and entertaining for those watching at home, these shows get up close and personal into the bride and groom's emotions right up until they say their vows. Many of these shows focus on the temperament of the bride and receive outstanding ratings, but some offer great tips on planning, organizing, and budgeting for a wedding. For example, one of the most popular of these shows is Bridezilla. As the name of the show suggests, the cameras follow these seemingly normal brides as they turn into raving monsters during the planning of their "perfect day." A few other popular reality tv shows include My Big Redneck Wedding,A Wedding Story,and Rich Bride, Poor Bride. These shows show a variety of different aspects involved in this very special day. Realistically, it seems that these shows have become so popular because of America's need to become part of a higher social class. Though it is just a reality show, over the past few years, reality shows have made simple California girl Lauren Conrad of The Hills and Tiffany a.k.a. New York, originally from Flavor of Love television royalty. According to an article from the Washington Post, this desire to be in the spotlight is a psychosocial issue. Simply put, these shows make the wedding of small-town people mirror images of storybook celebrity weddings. Though Americans reject the idea of social classes and status, for those who aren't "A-list celebs", they still try to recreate that sense of privilege and entitlement. Weddings are one of the few occassions that social classes almost mesh or at least become less important.

The Wedding Ceremony

Until the Middle Ages, the Wedding ceremony or betrothal involved of the exchange of a ring or a piece of fruit, a kiss, and then the bride moved into the groom's home . Today however, the ceremonial aspect of marriage has become more extravagent and more detailed. The average American couple today spends about 19 to 20 thousand dollars on their wedding and for a middle class family, this can be about 51 percent of their income. This money may go towards things such as the venue, the rehearsal dinner, the officiate, the wedding planner, and invitations to the event, as well as a band, singer, or pianist for when the wedding party walks down the aisle.

The wedding ceremony itself can cost a couple about 2,600 dollars on average, depending on the site, whether it be indoors or outdoors, a church or the beach. The location may only cost the couple 500 dollars, but acessories and decorations cost extra. For the officiant, priest, minister, or rabbi a couple may spend about 300 dollars. The rehearsal dinner, which many couples have for their guests, costs them about 1,269 dollars.On flowers alone a couple may expect to spend about 2,000 dollars. This cost includes flowers used for decorations in the wedding venue, as well as for bouquets for the bride, bridesmaids, and flower girls. Even mundane elements of the wedding such as invitations can cost a pretty penny. Couples spend on average, about 848 dollars which includes costs of stationary accessories ($188) and printed, pre-made invitations or reply cards ($659). A wedding band or singer may cost at least 1,000 dollars depending on who performs, and this cost can be for either the ceremony or the reception. The Wedding Planner may cost them on average, about 25 dollars per hour or $3,000 total.

When the wedding ceremony has a snag, such as a lost or damaged wedding dress or tuxedo, a couple may purchase wedding insurance to pay to replace such garments. Other instances that can be covered by wedding insurace are lost deposits, lost rings, severe weather, cancellations of the ceremony based on illnesses or military service, transportation issues and insurance for the venue. Wedding insurance can cost between $125 dollars and $500 dollars depending. However, it does not cover cancellations that are due to cold feet, and problems that a couple knew about before they took out a policy. The industry of weddings is becoming more of a household name, which is increasing the amount of couples who are aware of and purchase wedding insurance.

Clothing and Accessories

• Bridal Gown and Accessories

The number one item on a bride's to-do list is finding the perfect wedding gown. In the US, the average wedding dress costs $1,075. On average, a bride will spend about 6 percent of her budget on her dress. Television series like TLC's "Say Yes to The Dress" which features bridal boutique, Kleinfeld's, show the workings of the bridal gown industry. The bridal gown industry relies mainly on bridal magazines for advertising. [2] In recent years, more frugal or eco-friendly brides have started a new trend by buying preowned wedding dresses. This can save a bride 30 to 60% off retail prices. Other accessories which are marketed with the dress include wedding veils and shoes.

• Formalwear

As for the groom, the cost of his clothes and accessories is considerably less than the bride, with the average cost coming to about $313. In the wedding industry, it is most common for the groom's suit or tuxedo to be rented. There are various retailers that have this service including, Men's Wearhouse [3] and After Hours Formal Wear [4].

• Wedding Jewelry and Rings

• Stationary and Invitations

The Wedding Reception

The style and format of a wedding reception is largely dependent on culture and regional customs, but in general the reception is informal celebration of the wedding which contrasts the formality of the actual wedding ceremony.

• Cost

The average cost of a wedding is approximately $20,000, and the majority of this money is spent on the wedding reception itself (approximately 28%) . A generic list of expenses for the reception include: location, food, music (DJ, band, and/or singer), alcohol (optional)

• Location
• Traditions
  • Cultural Differences

Weddings are very culturally distinct events, and the reception is no exception. Each culture has their unique traditions that are an integral part in the wedding reception, and give these special events a personal touch that helps to make them more intimate for the bride, groom and family.

• • • Hispanic

The most distinct difference in a Hispanic wedding reception is the music and dancing. Salsa, merengue, and flamenco dancing all play a part in lively and energetic style of hispanic weddings. Also there is a money dance were guests pin money to the bride or groom's garments to pay for a dance with the couple. This is possibly the only slow dance or one of very few slow dances giving way to the more lively dancing of the Hispanic Culture. The money dance is not solely a hispanic tradition, but is also present in other cultural traditions in different styles. A Pinata can also be present to entertain the children at the wedding. The Pinata is usually filled with candy, coins, or small toys.

• • • Jewish
    • African American
    • Asian
  • Music/Dancing
• Social Status

The Honeymoon

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the honeymoon as "a period of harmony immediately following the marriage," "a period of unusual harmony especially following the establishment of a new relationship," or as it is mostly known for in this case, "a trip or vacation taken by newly married couple." Out of all the newlyweds that marry, 96% go on a honeymoon. An estimated 16% of weddings actually occur at resorts each year. As part of the honeymoon, there are many aspects to consider, including destination, budget, and packages such as cruises and tours. There are numerous resources online that can help in a decision for the perfect honeymoon; searching on the Google engine alone gives roughly 25,500,000 results.

• Destination

The destination is usually the most important aspect of the honeymoon onto which a newlywed couple focuses their attention. Influenced by budget, the destination can range from anywhere as near to home to as far as one wants. Usually, newlywed couples choose a tropical climate for their honeymoon, and the cliché location is Hawaiʻi.

• Budget

The average honeymoon costs approximately $4,500, which varies according to household income, age, willingness to spend money, and many other factors. Because there is a wide age-range of newly married couples, companies usually target a certain age range with a specific budget in mind. For example, couples who get married around the age of 25 - 29 earn an annual income of $85,000, are targeted in a different way than older couples, wealthier couples, and couples of different social-economic status.

• Packages

Companies use packages to appeal to honeymooners and act as a deal to attract attention. Because newlyweds do not usually know much about the place that they are about to vacation to, a package, such as a cruise or a tour of the city, country, or island, has the best appeal.