Cinderella Dreams: The Allure of the Lavish Wedding by Cele C. Otnes & Elizabeth H. Pleck (2003) -
This cultural analysis dives mostly into the historical consumerist side of the wedding. It offers a plethora of great, extremely detailed facts from diamond advertising campaigns to how terribly cheesy the honeymoon used to be (we’re talking champagne-shaped hot tubs and vibrating beds). The most eye-revealing findings are how business and consumerism created culture, as opposed to culture inspiring production. Many of our beloved traditional objects are the invention of fat cats in business suits looking to make a buck off romance and love. And how they’ve created a belief that wedded bliss is found with a $9.99 price tag. (Subject: Wedding, Tradition, Consumerism)