The Wedding Racket

Finally, someone is speaking out against the wedding ceremony industry. We're not sure we agree with part of his solution (a reception with no booze is like a honeymoon without . . . nevermind), but he raises valid points. Link. Two excerpts:

One of the hugest mistakes these couples will make off the bat is trying to have a wedding that well exceeds their (and both their families') means. According to most studies, the average cost for a wedding in the United States is $18,000”“$25,000, with some parts of the country even exceeding that astronomical total. Couples typically spend several thousand on rings, 7”“8 thousand on their reception, and thousands more on pictures, videos, flowers, etc. I've yet to see one study show how any of this dramatically improves the long-term health and stability of a marriage. What it does do is teach couples before they are even married how to be financially irresponsibly.

In the end, Americans' collective bad relational and financial decisions that start at (or even before) engagement pave the way to financial mismanagement during marriage, poor parenting skills, less happiness and satisfaction, and sky-high divorce rates. This affects the entire culture we live in. It's time for everyone to grow up and make smart decisions indeed. The economic consequences for both the couple and society are too high to do otherwise.